Afoko’s case set for June 28

A High Court hearing the case involving Mr. Gregory Afoko, has set June 28, for commencement of trial.

The court set the date after the prosecution led by Mr Matthew Amponsah, Chief State Attorney pleaded for ample time to be able to coordinate and bring down all the witnesses from the Northern Region.

The Court obliged granted the request saying ‘the prosecution must make sure to get the witnesses ready before the set date for hearing to commence’.

Earlier the Defence Counsel led by Mr Ekow Ampah Korsah told the court that they had received the witness statement from the prosecution, but were yet to be furnished with copies of the pictures of the alleged crime scene.

He prayed the court to withdraw two motions filed earlier on May 16 and 19, adding that another application for bail was pending.

The prosecution said it had no objection to the requests, but for the pictures, they prayed the court that the Defence Counsel would have to do a reproduction of the copies and bring them back since they (the prosecution), had only one copy each of the seven pictures.

The court then ordered the court registrar to furnish the Defence Counsel with the pictures taken at the alleged crime scene within three days.

The court then set June 21 to hear the motion for bail.

Afoko a farmer, is being held on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder of the late Mr Adams Mahama, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Upper East Region Chairman.

It is alleged that he carried out the act with one Alandgi Asake who is on the run.

A third accomplice, Musa Issa, was granted bail after the Attorney-General advised that there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Afoko has pleaded not guilty before a seven member jury.

On February 23, this year, an Accra District Court committed Afoko to stand trial at the High Court to answer to the charges leveled against him.

The State during the committal proceedings tendered about 17 exhibits in respect of the trial.

The exhibits include Afoko’s caution, charge statements as well as a post mortem report of the deceased conducted on November 25, last year by Dr Lawrence Edusei; a medical report on the deceased wife who also sustained injuries in her bid to assist the deceased when the incident occurred.

Other exhibits are a gallon containing the alleged residue of acid found at the crime scene, a cup believed to have been used by the assailants in pouring the acid on to the deceased, the deceased’s pair of shoes and attire and a piece of carpet in the deceased car.

The rest were various reports from the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), a pair of blue black track suit belonging to Afoko and photographs of the crime scene.

Prosecution said the deceased was a contractor who lived at Bolgatanga SSNIT Flats in the Upper East Region and the NPP Regional Chairman of the Region.

According to Mr Amponsah, Afoko also lived in Bolgatanga and he was the younger brother of Mr Paul Afoko, suspended National Chairman of the NPP.

The State said the accused is also a party activist, and was close to the deceased.

On May 20, last year, the deceased left his house for his construction site in his pick-up truck with registration number NR 761-14.

The Chief State Attorney said the deceased returned to the house in the night and at his entrance, two men signaled him to roll down the window of his car.

The deceased obliged and the two men poured acid on the deceased and they fled on a motorbike.

Mr Amponsah said Mr Mahama shouted for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams went to his aid.

He said Mrs. Adams also sustained burns on her chest and breast in her bid to assist the victim.

According to Mr Amponsah, the deceased told the wife that it was Gregory and Asanke, who poured the acid on him.

The deceased also mentioned the two accused persons, in the presence of neighbours, as the people who poured the acid on him.

The Chief State Attorney said Mr Adams was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Bolgatanga Hospital where he passed on.

Mr Amponsah said the Police proceeded to the crime scene and collected a gallon containing the residue of the alleged acid, a cup and clothes of the assailant.

He said the passenger and driver’s seats were soaked with the acid and a pair of track suit used by the accused was also picked up.

The items retrieved were sent to the Ghana Standards Board.

Afoko was picked up at about 0200 hours in his house where he led the Police to Asake’s house, but he was not available.

A post mortem was conducted on the deceased by Dr Edusei and its report indicated that Mr Adams died of extensive acid burns. Afoko has been remanded into lawful custody at the Bureau of National Investigations.

Prosecution is expected to call 15 witnesses to make its case.