Afoko was not truthful to the police – Witness

Accra, Jan. 24, – The fifth prosecution witness in the case involving Gregory Afoko who has been accused of murdering the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has told the court that Afoko lied to the police when he told then he was asleep at 2000 hours on May 20, 2015.

Mr Dominic Apaaya Baba on Wednesday said, he together with Afoko, Asabke and one Awafo, were at the Lovers Inn drinking spot and they left there at about 2200 hours on the said day.

Giving his evidence in chief before an Accra High Court presided over by Justice L.L Mensah, he said when he went to the police station to give his statement to the police he was told that Afoko had said upon his arrest that he was asleep as at 2000 hours on May 20, 2015, but this witness told the court that it was not true.

He told the court that he had known Afoko, and his accomplice, Asabka, now at large for the past 10 years in Bolgatanga as strong party activists, and he also knew the deceased (Adams Mahama), over the same period before he was elected as the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Regional Chairman.

He said he was at a funeral ground on May 16, 2015, when he received a call from Afoko, but Asabke spoke to him and told him to come for a meeting at the Central Hotel in the Bolgatanga Township.

He said he got there at about 1500 hours he was told that the meeting was to form a youth group of the party, with a suggested name as ‘Paul Afoko youth group’, but he and some of the members of the group objected to it.

The witness told the court that they wanted the formation of this new group after the then National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Paul Afoko, and the General Secretary, Mr Kwabena Agyapong had organised a meeting which was stopped by the Regional Chairman, Adama Mahama.

He said on May 20, he was at the Lovers Inn drinking spot close to his house when he received another call from Afoko, and he told them where he was, not knowing they were also at the same hotel, so they asked him to join them at their table.

Dominic said they were having some drinks, when Afoko suggested another name ‘NPP youth action wing’, which he agreed.

“We were at the drinking spot till about 2200 hours and we decided to leave. Afoko left with Asabke on his motorbike towards the Bolgatanga Township, while Awafo walked home and I pushed my motorbike to the house.”

He said on May 21, 2105, at about 0600 hours, he missed a call from Asabke, but when he called back Asabke told him that, the police came to his house with Afoko looking for him (Asabke), but they did not find him, unfortunately the call dropped.

According to the witness few minutes later, as he was moving out from his house, he met Asabke by the roadside, he told him that the police said he and Afoko had poured acid on Adams Mahama.

“I asked him whether he knew something about it but he answered in the negative, so I advised him that, if that was the truth, then he should report himself to the police, and should not wait for them to come looking for him the second time. But he was looking worried and answered in the affirmative.”

He told the court that, since that day he had not set his eyes on Asabke.

During cross examination, Counsel for Afoko Mr Osafo Boabeng asked whether he gave three different statements to the police on May 27, and 29, 2015, and June 1, 2015, and he answered in the affirmative.

He said he wrote those statements as a suspect, because the police earlier accused him of carrying Asabke on his motorbike to Naaga, but he denied the fact, and told them it was baseless.

The defence counsel then put it to him that not everything the police say is true, and he answered yes.

Asked whether the discussions at both Central Hotel and Lovers Inn were centred on the inauguration of the youth group, he answered positively.

The case, at this point was adjourned to January 25, for further cross examination of the witness.

At the previous sitting the case was adjourned due to a blockade of the Accra-Nsawam road, making it impossible for the Prison Officers to transport the accused person to court.

The prosecution intends to call ten other witnesses, in addition to Hajia Adams, Madam Issaka, Quinn, Taufic and Dominic.

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

Afoko 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 also 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 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 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 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 from the deceased’s car.

The rest are 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 Mr Amponsah, Chief State Attorney, who told the court that Mr Adams was a contractor and lives 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 signalled him to roll down the window of his car.

He obliged, however, the two men 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 Asabke, 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 0200 hours in his house and he led the Police to Asabke’s house. Asake was, however, not available.

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

GNA