Gregory Afoko denied bail over acid attack

An Accra Central Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Worlanyo Kotoku has refused a bail application for Gregory Afoko, who has been charged for conspiracy to commit crime and murder.
Mr Afoko and Asabke Alangdi, who is still at large, have been accused of murdering the late Adams Mahama, former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Gregory, whose plea was not taken, will reappear in court on Tuesday, June 9.
Stephen Ampah-Korsah, the main lawyer for Mr Afoko, initially raised an objection against Mr Paul Afoko, National Chairman of the NPP, and the senior brother of the accused being named in the fact sheet.
He said this could be prejudicial in the determination of the case and asked the court to order the amendment of the fact sheet.
Ampah-Korsah told the court that in applying for bail, the object was not to secure the liberty of the accused, but to allow him to be ready the trial.
“It is the period for the accused person to aid the defence counsel in the trial process, my lord we need the accused person around us.”
Police Superintendent Francis Baah told the court that the accused is a farmer and the younger brother of Mr Afoko.
He said during the early part of May, Mr Afoko and Mr Kwabena Agyepong, the General Secretary of the NPP, arrived in Bolgatanga, where the deceased organized some thugs to violently attack them for scuttling the planned meeting to campaign against Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
The prosecution said the situation was later brought under control by the police, but Gregory who was not impressed with the action by the regional chairman and had a confrontation with him until Gregory was chased out by the thugs.
Superintendent Baah said later Gregory and his accomplice mobilized some youth to form another group whose aim was to protect party executives perceived to be against Nana Addo’s bid.
He said there were series of meetings and on May 20, Gregory and his accomplice armed with a substance in a gallon suspected to be acid, laid ambush at the late Adams Mahama’s residence when he was returning home around 11pm.
Attacked
The prosecution said when Mr Mahama saw them he parked his car in front of his house and the accused and his accomplice went closer and signaled him to roll down his window, where he identified Gregory and his partner as party members.
“Suddenly, Gregory and his partner poured the substance on his head, face and other part of his body and fled on a motorbike,” Supt Baah added.
He said the deceased’s wife heard screaming and came to help her husband. She managed to bring him out of the car and in the process, she sustained burns on the right side of the chest and breast.
Superintendent Baah said when the wife asked the husband what happened, the late Mahama told her that it was Gregory and his partner who had poured the substance on him.
He said the deceased, who was in great pain, kept mentioning the names of the accused person and his partner while he was rushed to hospital.
Mr Mahama died while he was being prepared to be airlifted to Accra for intensive care.
The police later located the house of Gregory’s accomplice but he fled, leaving behind his wife leaving and baby.
Meanwhile a gallon, which contained some of the substance and a plastic cup were retrieved at the scene.
A post mortem conducted on the deceased showed he suffered from shock lungs – characterised by severe inflammation of the lungs due to trauma or infection – and extensive acid burns.
Credit: GNA