Gregory Afoko
The court of Appeal in Accra yesterday dismissed an appeal against the revocation of bail filed by Gregory Afoko, who is standing trial for the alleged murder of the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Adams Mahama.
An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Merley Wood, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, had rescinded the GH¢500,000 bail grated to the accused persons by another High Court presided over by Justice George Buadi.
Not satisfied with the decision, his lawyer filed an appeal against the revocation of the bail at the Court of Appeal.
But a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal presided over by Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu and assisted by Justices George Koomson and Eric Kyei-Baffour dismissed the application on ground that the applicant was unable to convince the court to overturn the High Court’s decision.
Initial Bail
Justice Buadi in March 2019, granted Afoko a bail of GH¢500,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.
The court further ordered the accused person to report himself once every two weeks to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) at the Police Headquarters in Accra.
This was after the Attorney General had entered Nolle Prosequi to discontinue Afoko’s trial following the arrest of another suspect in the matter, Asabke Alangdi.
Overturned Decision
The bail was however, rescinded by an Accra High Court presided over by Justice Wood, when the accused persons were put before her court for a fresh trial.
This followed an oral application by Marina Appiah Opare, a Chief State Attorney who said the other court granted Afoko bail on the grounds that his trial was yet to commence and the republic was uncertain as to when the trial would begin and that he has been in custody without trial since his arrest.
Afoko’s lawyers opposed the prosecution’s request saying the court which granted the application for bail had taken into consideration all the issues and said the state could not allege that Afoko was a flight risk but the court rejected the argument.
Initial Attempt
This is the second attempt made by lawyers for the accused persons to have the decision the bail decision overturned.
His lawyers once filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking an order to quash the revocation of his bail and also to prohibit the judge from hearing the case.
The court presided over by Justice Jones Victor Dotse and assisted by Justices Yaw Apau, Gabriel Pwamang, Samuel Marful-Sau and Prof Nii Ashie Kotey dismissed the application saying “it has no basis and fails.”
BY Gibril Abdul Razak