Asabke Alangdi, the man who was arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Adams Mahama, the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), shed tears yesterday, when he appeared before the Accra Central District Court.
Appearing in a yellow t-shirt over a pair of ash trousers, Asabke, the second accused, wiped tears when heavily built policemen escorted him into a waiting vehicle after court proceedings.
The accused was arraigned together with Gregory Afoko, the first accused, whose trial at the High Court for the same offence was discontinued following the arrest of Alangdi in Cote d'Ivoire on January 25, 2019.
The two, charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder, have been remanded into Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) custody and would appear again on February 12, 2019.
They were said to have allegedly poured acid on Mahama in Bolgatanga on May 20, 2015.
Alangdi was arrested by International Police (INTERPOL) and handed over to Ghanaian authorities having been on the run for almost four years.
The Attorney General and Minister of Justice filed a Nolle Prosequi to discontinue the trial of Afoko, when his counsel and the prosecution were due to file closing address on February 8 and February 19.
Afoko, who kept a calm demeanor accused the police of embellishing lies as he was taken into custody.
Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Maxwell Oppong told the court presided over by Afua Sackey that the accused, both farmers, lived in Bolgatanaga.
He said on May 20, 2015, the late Mahama left home for construction site in his vehicle, with registration number NR 761-14.
The prosecutor said Mahama returned home around 11:10p.m. in his pick-up and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, Afoko and Asabke went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.
He told the court that Mahama identified the accused (then 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.
Chief Inspector Oppong stated that Mahama started screaming for help and his wife, Hajia Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle.
He said Mahama passed on the following day at about 8:30a.m. while on admission at the Intensive Care Unit at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.
Flowing from that, he said, Afoko was arrested in his house on the night of the incident at about 2:30a.m. by a team of policemen.
He said Afoko led the police to the house of Alangdi but he had fled to neighbouring Burkina Faso and later to Cote d'Ivoire where he was apprehended.
Chief Insp. Oppong told the court that police went to the crime scene and collected a gallon containing acid and a plastic cup.
He said the dress Mahama wore was also soaked in acid.
The policeman said investigators found out that the passenger cabin and driver's seat of deceased's vehicle had traces of acid.
He said the items collected at the crime scene including a pair of truck suit trousers belonging to Afoko were to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for forensic examination.
Chief Insp. Oppong stated that examination conducted by GSA revealed the items contained sulphuric acid, a chemical described as very corrosive which causes severe injury upon contact with the skin.
On May 21, 2015 post mortem examination conducted by Dr Lawrence Edusei, a senior pathologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital revealed Mahama died from extensive acid burns and shock lungs.
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS