New jury ready for Afoko’s 3rd trial

A new seven-member jury has been empanelled to hear the case of Gregory Afoko who is accused of murdering the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama in 2015.

The accused yesterday pleaded not guilty – the third time he is doing so to one count of murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.

His co-accused, Asabke Alangdi, who was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy to murder, also pleaded not guilty to murder yesterday.

This is the third time in about nine years that Afoko is standing trial for the murder of Mr Adams in 2015 after acid was poured on him in the middle of the night upon returning home.

The new seven-member jury to decide the case comprises four men and three women. Three protective jurors were rejected in the lead-up to empanelling of the seven.

Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, the trial judge, adjourned the case to February 2, 2024, for the Case Management Conference and for the prosecution as well as the defence teams to address the jury.

The prosecution is expected to call its first witness on February 26, 2024, if pretrial processes have been disposed of.

Marina Appiah Opare, a Chief State Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General, indicated that the prosecution would be relying on all their 16 previous witnesses as well as all processes pertaining to the case.

This is the third time Afoko is facing trial for the offence of allegedly killing Adams Mahama in 2015.

The first trial was truncated by the Office of the Attorney General following the arrest of Afoko’s alleged accomplice, Asabke Alangdi, who fled the country after the incident in May 2015.

The second trial ended on April 27, 2023, with a seven-member jury presenting a verdict that shocked many.

The jury by a 4:3 decision found Gregory Afoko not guilty of conspiring to murder the late Mr Mahama but unanimously found his co-accused, Asabke Alangdi guilty of the same offence.

The jury, however, by a 4:3 decision found the two accused persons not guilty of the substantive charge of murder, thereby resulting in a hung jury and a retrial by a different jury.

While Afoko is to be retried as a result of a hung jury, Asabke Alangdi was sentenced to death by hanging after he was convicted by the court based on the jury’s guilty verdict on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

Part of the prosecution’s facts state that the deceased returned home around 11:10 pm in his pick-up vehicle, with registration number NR 761 – 14, and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, the suspects went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.

The deceased identified the suspects to be party members and rolled down the glass to talk to them.

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 deceased started screaming for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle,” the prosecution added.

The facts state that Mr Mahama’s wife also sustained burns on the right side of her chest and breast while assisting her husband.