The Accra High Court yesterday dismissed a bail application for Gregory Afoko, who is standing trial for allegedly pouring the acid that killed the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The court, presided over by Mr Justice K. A. Okwabi, said the charges preferred against Afoko were proper and that there was no undue delay of the case, as argued by his defence counsel.
With the dismissal of the bail application, Afoko is now to stand trial for his alleged involvement in the murder of Mr Adams Mahama on May 20, 2015.
The accused person has been charged with conspiracy and murder, together with two other accomplices, Musa Issa and Asabke Alangbi, who is currently at large.
Issa, who was being held for abetment of crime, was, on July 10, this year, granted bail in the sum of GHc20,000 by the Accra Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr Worlanyo Kotoku.
He is to report himself to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service before noon from Monday to Thursday until the case is concluded.
However, the court declined bail to Afoko, whose plea has not been taken.
Consequently, his defence team proceeded to the Human Rights Court to seek bail for him.
Confusion
After the court had dismissed the bail application, a nasty trading of insults ensued between the families of Afoko and those of the deceased on the premises of the Cocoa Affairs Court .
The drama unfolded when aggrieved relatives of the late Mahama began to hurl insults at Afoko’s relatives.
The stand-off continued after Afoko had been taken away from the court.
It took the intervention of security personnel and onlookers on the court premises to restore calm.
Notwithstanding those interventions, some of Mahama’s relatives threw stones at Afoko’s relatives.
In the ensuing confusion, a young lady, identified as Rukaiya and said to be one of Mahama’s daughters, collapsed and was rushed by her family members to an unknown hospital, an incident that triggered calm on the court premises.
Previous trial
At the previous trial on August 11, 2015 at the court, Mr Ekow Ampah Korsah, counsel for Afoko, had prayed the court to grant his client bail, saying that there had been unreasonable delay of his client’s prosecution.
He argued that the continued detention of his client had denied him access to Afoko, who was being kept at the East Legon Police Station.
He told the court that Afoko had been in police custody since May 21, this year and wondered when prosecution would conclude its investigation into the matter.
However, a Chief State Attorney, Mr Matthew Amponsah, opposed the granting of bail to Afoko, as it was “premature” for him to be granted bail.
He informed the court that Afoko’s clothes, which had been sent to the Ghana Standards Authority for examination, proved that the burns at the base of his trousers were consistent with the acid burns on Mr Mahama.
Facts of case
On May 14, 2015, Gregory’s brother, Mr Paul Afoko, the National Chairman of the NPP, and the General Secretary of the party, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, arrived in Bolgatanga for a meeting.
“The deceased organised some thugs to violently attack them, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azumsolon Guest House, for campaigning against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and also not notifying him. The situation was later brought under control by the police,” the prosecution said.
According to the prosecution, an upset Gregory confronted the late Mahama but the former was chased out by thugs.
Another group
It said Gregory and Asabke formed another youth group in their bid to protect persons perceived to be against Nana Akufo-Addo, the 2016 flag bearer of the NPP.
It said on May 20, 2015, they laid ambush at Mahama’s residence with a substance suspected to be acid and when he returned home around 11:10 p.m. in his pick-up vehicle and parked the vehicle in front of his house, the suspects went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.
The late Mahama identified the suspects to be party members and rolled down the glass to talk to them but, suddenly, the suspects poured the substance on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled on a motorbike.
The prosecution said 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.
Injuries
According to the prosecution, Mahama’s wife sustained burns on the right side of her chest and breast while assisting him. When she enquired about what had happened to him, he told her Gregory and Asabke had attacked him.
It said Mahama repeatedly mentioned Gregory and Asabke as the ones who had attacked him, in the presence of neighbours and friends who rushed him to the Upper East Regional Hospital.
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 gallon which contained some of the substance and a plastic cup were retrieved from the scene for forensic examination,” it stated.
A post-mortem report on Mahama said he had died from shock and extensive acid burns.
