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27.05.2015 General News

Afoko's Brother Charged For Murder

By Daily Guide
Afoko's Brother Charged For Murder
27.05.2015 LISTEN

Gregory Afoko, the younger brother of Paul Afoko, National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was arrested in connection with the fatal acid attack on Adams Mahama, was yesterday remanded into police custody by an Accra Central Magistrate Court.

The accused, a 50-year-old farmer who wears dreadlocks, and one Asabke Alangdi, currently at large, were said to have conspired to and murdered Mr Adams, the Upper East Regional chairman of the NPP.

According to the prosecution led by Supt Francis Baah, the accused on May 20, 2015 at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region intentionally and unlawfully caused the death of Mr Adams.

Appearing before trial Magistrate Worlanyo Kotoku, the plea of the accused person was not taken.

Paul Afoko Linkage
Ekow Korsah, lead counsel for Gregory, said the prosecution ought to amend their facts and de-link Gregory from his brother Paul Afoko.

He opined that it was wrong for the prosecution to state in their facts that the accused was the brother of the National Chairman of the NPP.

According to him, the facts as presented by the police were 'prejudicial', and that 'Gregory Afoko is in the dock alone, there's no one else with him.'

But the trial magistrate directed that he (Ekow) must allow the prosecutor to read the facts as the prosecution had gathered.

Bail Attempts
In Ekow's attempts at bail, he said the whole country was saddened by the death of Mr Adams, insisting that Ghana was a country governed by laws such as the 1992 Constitution.

He said the Constitution that Ghana held supreme made it clear that all persons brought before the court were innocent until proven guilty.

Gregory's lawyer, quoting section 96 of the Criminal Procedure Code of 1960 (Act 30) among others, prayed the court to grant his client bail.

This, he claimed, would enable his client to put 'the fabrics of his life together' even as he (Gregory) stood trial.

But Supt Baah, with emphasis on Section 96 (7) of Act 30, stated that the court must not grant bail because the accused could interfere with the investigations by the police.

He said the charges preferred against the accused person were not bailable.

Bail Declined
Mr Kotoku, the Magistrate, declined the bail application and remanded Gregory to appear on June 9, 2015.

Supt Baah, briefing the court, said Mr Adams until his death was a contractor whilst the accused was an NPP youth activist and a younger brother to Paul Afoko.

He said Alangdi was also a party member and that in early May 2015, Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, the General Secretary of the party, embarked on a tour.

Supt Baah stated that on May 14, Afoko and Agyepong arrived in Bolgatanga for a meeting but the deceased allegedly organised some thugs to violently attack them for campaigning against Nana Akufo-Addo, the flagbearer of the NPP, and for not informing him (Adams) about the meeting; thus, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azunsolum Guest House.

The prosecutor said the police later brought the situation under control, but Gregory was not impressed with the action taken by Adams, leading to serious confrontation with the deceased, until he was chased away by the thugs.

Supt Baah further told the court that Gregory and Alangdi mobilised some youth to form another group with the aim of protecting party executives perceived to be against Akufo-Addo's bid and they had a series of meetings.

Acid Attack
He said in the evening of May 20, the two assailants, armed with a liquid substance in a gallon, suspected to be acid, laid ambush at Adams' residence.

The police officer said the deceased returned home around 11:00pm in his Pick-up vehicle with registration NR 761-14, adding that 'immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, the suspects went close, and signalled him to roll down the glass.'

Supt Baah continued: '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 prosecutor said the deceased started screaming for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams, came to his aid and managed to get him out of the car.

Supt Baah said when the wife asked the deceased what had happened, Adams said the accused persons poured acid on him.

The prosecutor said Mr Adams was sent to the Upper East Regional Hospital, Bolgatanga, where he was pronounced dead just when he was to be airlifted to Accra for intensive care.

'During investigations, the first suspect was arrested in his house and when asked to lead police to the house of the second suspect, he rather took them to the father's house. Police later located the house of second accused but the suspect had got wind of the police presence and absconded with his wife, leaving behind their baby. A gallon, which contains some of the substance, and a plastic cup were retrieved at the scene for forensic examination,' he said.

Supt Baah said post-mortem examination conducted on the body of the deceased revealed that Adams died of shock and extensive acid burns.

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By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

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