Politics of Thursday, 20 July 2017
Source: Graphic.com.gh
2017-07-20
Kofi Portuphy
The main opposition political party, the National Democratic Congress has alleged that “goons” and “squads” from the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) are behind the recent killing of some policemen in the line of duty.
Addressing a press conference in Accra Thursday, National Chairman of the NDC, Mr Kofi Portuphy said: “For the first time in the 4th Republican dispensation, a political party in the shape of the NPP has incorporated militancy and violent extremism into its way of operations.”
“To give meaning to militancy and violence, a group of brigands and outright criminals have been assembled and given such blood clotting names as Invincible Forces, Delta Forces, Kandaha Boys, Volta Crocodiles and also given official covering from the seat of government to perpetuate, ” Mr Portuphy said.
Adding, he said: “these criminal gangs have been allowed to wage a psychological war on the security apparatus by attacking and openly killing policemen in uniform.”
“Very credible intelligence information reaching us [NDC] has it that a lot of the armed robbery and killing of hard working police officers is being done by some elements belonging to the aforementioned militant goons, squads associated with the NPP.”
The national chairman who was addressing the press conference in reaction to Tuesday’s Media Encounter by President Akufo-Addo said: “Per the information we [NDC] are getting, these criminals are very much aware that they have full government backing and that in the event that they are even arrested by the police, they will be released by their political godfathers.
Mr Portuphy mentioned the Kumasi incident with the Delta Forces where he said, “criminals beat up the Regional Security Coordinator and also ruffed up a Circuit Court judge and disrupted court proceedings.”
