Member of Parliament for Builsa North constituency, James Agalga has called on the military to investigate the alleged attack on the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo, an appointee of President Akufo-Addo, by members of the Delta Force.
Speaking in an interview on PM Express on JoyNews, the Former Deputy Minister of the Interior stated that the forceful removal of DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo from office was proof of the disregard that members of the vigilante group have for President Akufo-Addo's authority.
"The President is the Commander-In-Chief, and so when the President makes an appointment and a vigilante group affiliated to the ruling party defies the President by throwing such an appointee out of office, the matter clearly goes beyond the police and must be dealt with by the Army," he said.
“I am not surprised that members of the Delta Force who once beat to a pulp, the Ashanti Regional liaison officer now have the guts to repeat the same act but this time around the victim is a retired DCOP who has been appointed by the President to serve in the same capacity as regional liaison officer.
According to Mr Agalga, vigilantism in Ghana has overstayed its welcome because "the country is more than equipped with sufficient legislation in the criminal and other offences act to deal with all forms of vigilantism."
He said the failure to completely end the incidence of vigilante attacks is a result of 'lack of political will to enforce the existing legislations."
The legislator emphasised that the 'Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019' was proof that there is a binding principle that stands against and does not tolerate the actions of vigilantism.
Meanwhile, DCOP Ayensu Opare Addo has vowed to take appropriate action against members of the supposedly disbanded pro-NPP vigilante group Delta Force.
The retired Police officer described the ordeal he went through in the hands of the seven men, who purported to be National Security operatives, as humiliating.
“Yes, certainly action will be taken. They came and assaulted me, pointing AK 47 at me and the like, hitting me, even when I was going to urinate one of the boys followed me and said he was following me to the toilet, I said what do you mean?
“He said but you’re a man, I am also a man, I can look at it because you can also look at mine. I said why! Am I a baby? So I am not going to look at this without taking any action,” he said.
DCOP Opare Addo said he was targeted by the group because he prevented them from engaging in illegal mining activities within the region.
“I was working with them, they wanted to do galamsey, they would go and collect monies from some people and the people would be calling me. One of them would take GHC10,000 from them that he is bringing it to me when I haven’t sent him anywhere. So I informed one of them who is supposed to be the leader of the Delta Force group that this is what your man is doing.
Recounting his tortuous ordeal a week ago, he said “they came to the office about 5pm and said that they’ve been directed to bring me to the National Security Coordinator, I said I won’t go so they handcuffed me, pushed me here and there, pointed AK 47 at me.
“The police came there and picked us to the Regional Police Headquarters. The case is under investigation by the police but unfortunately, they haven’t arrested the seven persons who came to my office to humiliate me in this way,” he revealed.
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