The Ashanti regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken an exception to a description by the National Security Minister Mr Albert Kan Dapaah that members of the party’s vigilante group Delta Force are criminals.

Even though Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi indicates that he does not subscribe to their recent activities, he said the minister should know that the contributions of the group helped to make him a minister today and therefore has not got the balls to describe them as criminals.

According to him, members of the group selflessly served the party during the electioneering period and cannot be branded and treated as criminal as Mr Kan Dapaah wants it to appear like.

“Even though their action was uncalled for, they helped the party secure victory in the December 2016 elections. “Where was Kan-Dapaah during the elections?” he questioned in an interview with Kumasi-based Ash FM.

“Kan-Dapaah should know that he is in power because of this same group he is calling criminals. He never campaigned for the party but is rather enjoying after the group has suffered for the party. He should be very careful and shut up and behave like an elderly person.”

The outspoken Chairman said members of the group freed their colleagues because they were afraid for their lives.

According to him, the Delta force members are “Very good boys” who could defend their case in court.

Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, last Thursday cautioned vigilante groups in Ghana that they had no legal recognition, which makes them illegal, and without mandate to operate in the country.

“Let’s get all such action groups to recognise that they are not to operate in the country and if they do, it will be taken as a law and order issue and they will have to go through the laws of the country as their punishment,” Mr Kan Dapaah told Parliament on Thursday.

He therefore urged Members of Parliament (MPs) and political actors to avoid giving such illegal groups party colours to make the fight against such moves successful.