The 13 members of the pro-New Patriotic Party vigilante group, Delta Force, who assaulted a public officer in Kumasi, have been handed a fine to the tune of GHC23,400.

Each of them is to pay GHC1,800 and sign a bond to be of good behaviour for a 12-month period or in default serve 12 months in prison, the Kumasi High Court ruled Thursday.

The 13 were convicted and sentenced after they pleaded guilty to the new charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit rioting leveled against them last week by police prosecutors.

Charges of assaulting a public officer, conspiracy to assault and causing unlawful damage, which the 13 convicts were facing, were dropped by prosecutors on October 10 on the advice of the Attorney General’s Department.

Fresh charge of conspiracy to riot was subsequently leveled against them and the case adjourned Thursday October 19.

When the case resumed Thursday, the convicts pleaded guilty to the charge in the Circuit Court presided over by JMs. Mary Senkyire to convict them accordingly.