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Meanwhile, eight members of the group who had allegedly aided the 13 accused persons to escape have been arrested.

The eight suspects, whose names were not given, are behind bars in Kumasi, while a bench warrant has been issued for the apprehension of the 13 who escaped from the court.   

Background

On March 14, 2017 some members of the Delta Force stormed the office of the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Mr George Adjei, and threw him out of the office.

They claimed that Mr Adjei was not part of those who had worked in the trenches in the region for the NPP to secure a resounding victory and, therefore, he could not be made the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

Armed policemen intervened and rescued Mr Adjei amid threats from the members of the Delta Force.

The next day, the leader of the group, Kwadwo Fosu Bamba, was arrested in Kumasi.

Two days later, Awal Sadat Abubakar was also nailed by the police in Kumasi.

However, Abubakar Sidiq Abdul Hameed, Jamil Issah and Hamza Mohammed reported to the Ashanti Regional Police.  

The members of the Delta Force arrested in Accra were Salu Issakah, 33; Akwasi Owusu, 34; Kwabena Owusu, 46; Kofi Kyei, 40; Agya Boadu, 46; Salu Yussif, 35; Yussif Salu, 32, and Kwaku Awotwe, 40.

All 13 were granted bail and put before court on Thursday.

According to Dapatem and Kyei-Boateng, after their charges were read to them at the court on Thursday, counsel for the accused persons, Mr Matthew Appiah, prayed the court to grant his clients self-enquiry bail because all of them were on bail and had been reporting themselves to the police.

He added that they were residents of Kumasi and were married persons who were ready to co-operate with the police at all times for investigations into the matter.

Unfortunately for counsel, the court, said that all the 13 be remanded into prison custody.

Immediately word went out that the 13 had been remanded, some supporters of the accused who were outside the courtroom attempted to find their way into the courtroom but they were prevented from doing so by the police.

While the police were making efforts to prevent them from moving into the courtroom, the 13 left the courtroom and joined those outside to leave the court premises, claiming that they were going to the NPP Ashanti Regional headquarters.  

Security

The few policemen at the court had to channel their strength and attention to protect and whisk the judge away to safety.

The 13 accused persons and their supporters then walked majestically free from the court and took to the streets, ostensibly towards the regional headquarters of the NPP at to complain to party officials about what had happened to them.

Police

Minutes after the 13 and their supporters had bolted, armed policemen in six Nissan pick-ups arrived on the court premises.

Speaking on Ash FM, a radio station in Kumasi, minutes after they had left the court, one of the 13, who gave his name only as Sadat, said they were surprised at the decision of the judge to remand them as though they were common criminals. He stated that they would not go to any police station and added that they would also not work for the NPP again.