‘The witness can speak English’ – Gregory Afoko

Accra, Feb. 8, - Gregory Afoko, accused of murdering the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has told the Accra High Court that the sixth prosecution witness could speak English, contrary to what he had told the court.

    

He said: “I know the witness very well and he can speak English”. This was after the judge enquired from him whether the witness could speak English or not.

    

On Thursday morning when the case was called the Prosecution, presented its sixth witness, Awafo Akelesiya, who at the previous sitting, the Prosecution told the court he could only speak Frafra.

    

But the Defence Counsel, Mr Osafo Boabeng, told the court this morning that, the witness, could speak English, unless the Police was not telling the truth.

    

He said according to the statement he (Awafo) gave to the Police, he spoke English.

    

Another Counsel, who was watching brief for the Attorney General, also told the Court that the interpreter was finding it difficult to translate the Frafra Language into English.

    

The Court then adjourned the matter to February 15.

    

Earlier, the witness Awafo, beginning his evidence in chief, told the Court that he knew the accused person, as well as Adams Mahama, as the New Patriotic Party’s Upper East Regional Chairman, until his demise.

    

He said he also knew the fifth Prosecution Witness, in the case, Dominic Apaaya Baba from Bolgatanga Zorbisi area, as the polling station secretary for the area.

   

Also, he said, he knew one Asabke, now at large, as the NPP’s Bolgatanga Tangu Junior Staff Quarters Polling Station Organiser.

   

He told the Court that, on May 16, 2015, at about 1400 hours, he was home when he received a call from Gregory, but Asabke was the one who spoke to him and invited him to a meeting at the Central Hotel.

    

He said when he got to the Hotel at about 1430 hours; Gregory and Asabke as well as Dominic and others were already there.

    

He said when the meeting started, Asabke told members that the meeting was called for them to get to know each other.

   

The accused also mentioned that the meeting was also for them to be united to help the Party as well as the regional chairman.

    

At the last sitting the Prosecution told the Court that the next witness (Awafo Akelesiya) was in Court; but only speaks Frafra and that they had formally written to the Court’s Registrar for an interpreter, but they had been informed that there was no Frafra interpreter available.

    

The Prosecution intends to call 10 other witnesses, in addition to Hajia Adams, Madam Issaka, Quinn, Taufic and Dominic.

    

Afoko, a farmer, who is alleged to have killed Mr Mahama on May 20, 2015, 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 is alleged that Afoko carried out the act with 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.

    

On February 23, 2016, 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 her husband 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 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 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 those who poured the acid on him.

    

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

    

Afoko was picked up at about 0200 hours in his house and he led the Police to Asabke’s house. Asabke was, however, not available.

    

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

GNA