Prosecution presents third witness in Afoko trial

The prosecution in the case involving Gregory Afoko, who has been accused of the murder of the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, on Tuesday, presented its third prosecution witness.

The witness, Mr Asigri Quinn, in his evidence in chief, told the Court that, he had known the accused person in Bolgatanga for the past 15 years.

He said on the day the incident happened, he was sleeping in his house when his wife woke him up, saying someone was wailing and crying for help in the house of Adams Mahama, now deceased.

He said when he opened the back door of his house, and walked to that house, he realised that Adams was naked; and crying in pain, while pacing.

His body was peeling off and becoming reddish, while his wife was beside him.

“The deceased asked me to send him to the hospital because he was in pain,” he said. “I was wearing only boxer shorts so I went back to my house to wear a pair of trousers and a long sleeve shirt.”

Mr Quinn told the Court that, when he came back, he met the Prosecution’s second witness, Zuweira, one Abdullah, and Thomas Zuta. But Thomas upon seeing the condition of Adams got scared and ran away.

He said when he returned he also saw that Adams had been covered with a cloth around his waist.

The witness said Adams handed over him a bunch of keys and asked him to use his car and send him to the hospital.

The witness said he made an attempt to enter the car but was met with excessive heat and a strong stench from the car, with the driver’s seat destroyed and the dash board melted.

He, therefore, decided to use his own car. 

He said: “I then drove my car to house of Adams and he walked to the car, opened the back seat and sat down.”

Following Mr Quinn’s testimony, the case was later adjourned to July 4, 5 and 7.

At the last adjourned date, the Defence Counsel ended the cross examination of the Prosecution’s second witness, Madam Zuweira Issaka, after her Evidence in Chief.

The Prosecution intends to call 12 other witnesses, in addition to Hajia Adams, Madam Issaka and Mr Quinn.

Gregory Afoko, a farmer, is alleged to have killed Mr Adams Mahama.

Afoko is being held on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder. However, he has pleaded not guilty before the Court, which is also composed of a seven-member jury.   

It is alleged that Afoko carried out the act with one Alandgi Asake, who is on the run.

A third accomplice, Musa Issa, was granted bail after the Attorney-General opined that there was not enough evidence to prosecute him.

The GNA earlier reported that on February 23, last year, an Accra District Court committed Afoko to stand trial at the High Court to answer to the charges against him.

The State at the committal proceedings tendered more than 17 exhibits in respect of the trial.

The exhibits include Afoko’s caution and charge statements as well as a post-mortem report of the deceased conducted on November 25, 2015, by Dr Lawrence Edusei; a medical report on the deceased’s wife, who also sustained injuries in her bid to assist the deceased when the incident occurred.

Other exhibits are 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 in the deceased car.

The rest are various reports from the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), a pair of blue-black track suit belonging to Afoko and photographs of the crime scene.

The Prosecution is being led by Mr Nicolas Amponsah, Chief State Attorney, who told the court that Mr Adams was a contractor, who lived at the Bolgatanga SSNIT Flats in the Upper East Region and was also the NPP Regional Chairman.

According to Mr Amponsah, Afoko also lived in Bolgatanga and was the younger brother of Mr Paul Afoko, a former National Chairman of the NPP.

The State said the accused was also a party activist, and was close to Mr Adams.

On May 20, 2015, Mr Adams left his house to his construction site in his pick-up truck with registration number NR 761-14.

The Chief State Attorney said he returned to the house in the night and at the entrance of his house, two men signaled him to roll down the window of his car.

He obliged and the two men, however, poured acid on him and fled on a motorbike.

Mr Amponsah said Mr Mahama shouted for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams went to his aid.

He said Mrs. Adams also sustained burns on her chest and breast in her bid to assist the victim.

According to Mr Amponsah, Adams told his wife that it was Gregory and Asanke, who poured the acid on him.

He also mentioned the two accused persons, in the presence of neighbours, as the people who poured the acid on him.

The Chief State Attorney said Mr Adams was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Bolgatanga Hospital where he passed on. 

Afoko was picked up at about 02:00 hours in his house and he led the Police to Asanke’s house. Asake was, however, not available.

A postmortem conducted on the deceased by Dr Edusei indicated that Mr Adams died of extensive acid burns.

Source: GNA

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