Gregory Afoko
The Accra high court hearing the case involving Gregory Afoko – who has been accused of murdering the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) – on Tuesday adjourned hearing to May 15.
When the case was called on Tuesday the prosecution told the court that the next witnesses, who are police officers, were on duty with Operation Vanguard as the court was informed on the last adjourned date and so they could not avail themselves in court.
Counsel for the accused person, Osafo Boabeng, was also not in court, but it was reliably informed that he had asked permission to be at the Supreme Court.
The court was therefore, compelled to adjourn the case to May 15, 16, 17 and 18 for continuation.
The prosecution has so far called six witnesses, including Hajia Adams, Madam Issaka, Quinn, Taufic, Dominic and Awafo. It intends to call nine more witnesses.
Afoko, a farmer, is alleged to have killed Mr Adams Mahama on May 20, 2015, and is being held on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit: murder and murder.
He has pleaded not guilty before the court, which is composed of a seven-member jury.
It was alleged that Afoko carried out the act with one Alandgi Asabke, who is on the run.
A third alleged accomplice, Musa Issa, was granted bail after the Attorney General had indicated that there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.
On February 23, 2016, an Accra District Court committed Afoko to stand trial at the high court to answer the charges against him.
At the committal proceedings, the state tendered in more than 17 exhibits.
The exhibits included Afoko’s caution and charge statements as well as a post-mortem report on the deceased conducted by Dr Lawrence Edusei, a medical report on the deceased’s wife, who also sustained injuries in her bid to assist her husband when the incident occurred.
Other exhibits were 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 the deceased, the deceased’s pair of shoes and attire and a piece of carpet from the late Adams’s car.
The rest were various reports from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), a pair of blue-black tracksuit belonging to Afoko and photographs of the crime scene.
The prosecution is being led by Nicolas Amponsah, a chief state attorney, who told the court that Mr Adams was a contractor living at the Bolgatanga SSNIT Flats in the Upper East Region and was the NPP regional chairman.
According to Mr Amponsah, Afoko also lived in Bolgatanga and was the younger brother of Paul Afoko, suspended National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
GNA