Gregory Afoko
Lawyers of 52-year-old Gregory Afoko say the burns allegedly sustained by Hajia Zainabu Adams, wife of Adams Mahama, the slain Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), are not acid burns.
According to Osafo Boabeng, the scars the witness showed to the court were already on her body.
Hajia Zainabu, who was testifying in the trial of Gregory over the death of her husband, Adams Mahama at the last hearing, showed the court scars on her cleavage, breast and hands as proof of injuries sustained in an attempt to assist her late husband during the acid attack.
She tendered photographs of her burns to the court and same was admitted in evidence.
But under further cross examination yesterday by Osafo Buabeng in a court, presided over by Justice L.L. Mensah, Afoko’s lawyer was skeptical about the injuries.
Hajia Zainabu, in an answer to the question, was emphatic she sustained the injuries as a result of her attempt to pull the late husband from his vehicle.
She said the deadly substance was poured on her husband in their house contrary to the view of the lawyer that the attack occurred some distance from their residence.
She told the court that she pulled the deceased from his car, indicating that late Adams sustained acid injuries on his entire body.
Osafo disagreed with the witness that she single-handedly pulled her “well built” husband from his vehicle.
Case adjourned until May 15.
Gegory has been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama in May 2015.
The accused has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Adams Mahama died of extensive acid burns and shock lungs (acute respiratory distress syndrome), an autopsy report has indicated.
Gregory’s alleged accomplice, Asabke, is still on the run.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson