The circuit court at Tamale has granted GH¢10,000 each with two sureties each to seven suspects, who were arrested in connection with the vandalism at the Northern Regional office of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The suspects were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, rioting with weapons and causing unlawful damage.
The suspects, who allegedly among some persons, who thronged the NDC office last week, to cause destruction, pleaded not guilty to the offence.
It was the case that the attack on the office was due to the appointment of a Vice-Chairman, Adolf Ali, as the acting Regional Chairman for the party until a substantive chairman was elected.
The attack on the office followed the death of the party’s Regional Chairman, Chief Alhaji Ibrahim Mobil.
Some irate youth, who appeared dissatisfied with the appointment of Mr Ali, vandalised the party’s regional office in Tamale, destroying chairs, tables, and documents in the process.
The angry youth, who stormed the regional office were said to have argued that Mr Ali was not the first vice Chairman and thus, he did not qualify to act.
Mr Ali was appointed as acting Regional Chairman following the demise of Ibrahim Mobila (the substantive regional Chairman).
The party asked Mr Ali to steer the affairs of the NDC in the region until new regional executives were elected at the next congress.
The protesters claimed the Vice Chairmen, Rufai Vellim, whom they described as First Vice Chairman, was next in line to fill the chairmanship void.
But Mr Abdul-Salam said the NDC did not have first and second vice chairman positions in the party.
He said “We don’t have anything called first or second vice chairman in the NDC.
“We did absolutely nothing wrong. If we were wrong, the head office would not affirm the decision. Both the National Chairman and General Secretary were here and they affirmed our decision.” he said. – citifmonline.com
