Greggory Afoko And Adams Mahama.
An Accra High Court (Criminal Division) presided over by Justice L.L. Mensah, has discharged a fifth prosecution witness in the trial of Greggory Afoko, who has been accused of the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama.
The witness, Dominic Apaaya Baba, had concluded his evidence-in-chief and was cross-examined by Afoko’s lawyer, Osafo Buaben.
In his evidence-in-chief, he told the court that Afoko lied to the police when he told them that he was asleep in his house by 8:00 pm on April 20, 2015 as he had been at a drinking spot with him (Afoko) and Asabke – who is now on the run.
He said on that night Afoko bought him a bottle of beer and reminded him not to miss out on a planned meeting to form a group of NPP youth in Bolgatanga which was rescheduled for May 24, 2018.
In his cross-examination of the prosecution witness, defence lawyer Osafo Buaben asked him whether he gave three statements to the police as a suspect in the matter; and he answered “Yes my lord.”
The lawyer then asked, “Would you agree with me that you wrote those statements as a suspect in the matter?” and the witness responded in the negative.
Asked about the distance between his and the accused person’s house, he said it is about two-and-a-half kilometres away.
Mr. Buaben then asked the prosecution witness whether he knew that Afoko is a teetotaller, and he responded in the affirmative.
Lawyer: At the Lovers’ Inn Spot the discussion was centred on the inauguration of the youth wing of the Bolgatanga NPP. Am I right?
Witness: Yes.
The lawyer then asked about his relationship with one Agnes Salifu who was at the police station on all three occasions that he gave his statement and he said the woman was just a witness when she gave his statement.
Mr Buaben then inquired from the witness whether he was aware the accused person was taking care of his sick father at the time; and the witness said that is not true because he and Afoko were at the drinking spot at the time and he had no knowledge that the accused person’s father was sick.
Lawyer: You were arrested by the police in connection with the death of Adams Mahama. Am I right?
Witness: No. I was arrested as part of their investigation.
The witness also denied a statement that he carried Asabke on his motorbike after they had all left the drinking spot.
The defence lawyer, concluding his cross-examination, asked the prosecution witness whether the said drinking spot was located in his house, and he said ‘no,’ adding, “Not inside my house but very close to my house.”
Justice L.L. Mensah then adjourned the case to February 6, 2018 for the state to call its sixth prosecution witness.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge has ordered both the prosecution and the defence to work around the clock to ensure that the trial ends by June 2018.
“This case would not travel beyond June, and I urge you both to try hard to collaborate with the court so that we see the end of it,” he charged.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak