Gregory Afoko
The retrial of Gregory Afoko, a man accused of murdering the late Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama by pouring acid on him, has been assigned to a new judge.
The Criminal Court 2 of the High Court in Accra, presided over by Justice Marie Louise Simmons, would now conduct the retrial, which would be the third time Afoko would be pleading to the crime.
The first trial was truncated by the Office of the Attorney General following the arrest of Afoko’s alleged accomplice, Asabke Alangdi, who fled the country after the incident in 2015.
The second trial ended on April 27 this year with a seven-member jury presenting a verdict that shocked many.
A seven-member jury by a 4:3 decision found Gregory Afoko not guilty of conspiring to murder the late Mr. Mahama, but unanimously found his co-accused, Asabke Alangdi guilty of the same offence.
The jury however, by 4:3 decision found the two accused persons not guilty of the substantive charge of murder, thereby resulting in a hung jury and a retrial by a different jury.
While Afoko is to be retried as a result of a hung jury, Asabke Alangdi was sentenced to death by hanging after he was convicted by the court based on the jury’s guilty verdict on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder.
The two made an appearance before the new court yesterday, but the case had to be adjourned to November 3, 2023, as the presiding judge who is said to be indisposed was absent.
Afoko and Asabke are accused of pouring acid on the late Mr. Mahama, leading to his death in May 2015.
The prosecution’s facts are that on May 14, 2015, Gregory’s brother, Paul Afoko, and Kwabena Agyepong, then National Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, of the NPP arrived in Bolgatanga for a meeting.
It stated that, the deceased, organised some thugs to violently attack the two, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azumsolon Guest House, for campaigning against the flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and also not notifying him of the meeting.
The situation, according to the prosecution, was later brought under control by the police, adding that the accused, who was then upset, confronted Mahama but was chased out by thugs.
It also noted that Gregory and Asabke formed another youth group in their bid to protect persons perceived to be against Nana Akufo-Addo.
It said the accused persons held a series of meetings with the youth and on May 20, 2015, they laid ambush at Mahama’s residence with a substance suspected to be acid.
The deceased returned home around 11:10 p.m. in his pickup vehicle, and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, the suspects went close and signaled him to roll down the glass.
The deceased identified the suspects to be party members and rolled down the glass to talk to them.
Suddenly, the suspects poured the substance suspected to be acid on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled on a motorbike.
“The deceased started screaming for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle,” the prosecution added.
The facts state that Mr. Mahama’s wife also sustained burns on the right side of her chest and breast while assisting her husband.
It said when she enquired about what had happened to her husband, he told her Gregory and Asabke had attacked him.
Mahama died while being airlifted to Accra for treatment.
Gregory, who was later picked up, led the police to Asabke’s father’s house.
The police later located Asabke’s house, but he had then absconded with his wife, abandoning their baby in the process.
A post-mortem report on Mahama said he died of shocked lungs and extensive acid burns.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak