Gregory Afoko files another bail application

 Gregory Afoko, the man accused of conspiring with Alangdi Asabke in 2015, to kill Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has filed another bail application before the Accra High Court.

The application, filed on Febru­ary 17, is the third time the accused is praying the court to grant him bail in the course of the nine years alleged criminal trial.

On April 27, 2023, a jury returned a 4-verdict of not guilty against Afoko, on the charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

Per the verdict, Afoko was to be retried, as his alleged accomplice, Asabke, was handed sentence to death by hanging by the court.

Alangdi was to be sent to the gallows after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.

Per Section 285 (4) of the Crim­inal and Other Offences (Proce­dure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), a verdict of 4-3 by a jury in a murder trial means it is a hung jury and there must be a retrial.

“Since the first accused person [Afoko] has been found not guilty by the majority decision of 4-3, this is a hung jury. There will be a retrial of the accused person,” Justice Merley Afua Wood, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court judge, ruled yesterday.

“Asabke Alangdi, the men and women elected to try you, having found you guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, you are hereby sentenced to death by hanging,” Justice Wood pronounced.

But, counsel for Asabke, Mr Vortia, appealed the death sentence of his client, describing the verdict of the jury as “strange” and a trav­esty of justice.

The counsel wondered how the jury could have found Alangdi guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and then found Afoko not guilty of the same charge of conspiracy.

“How can a person conspire against himself? In law, conspiracy only holds against two or more people, and each of the accused persons must be guilty. Who did my client conspire with, if the first accused person has been found not guilty by the jurors on the same facts?

“There is no way one person can be found guilty of conspiracy and the other party will not be guilty. I am, therefore, going to lodge an instant appeal,” Mr Vortia said, adding that the case was a clear testament that the jury system in the country was defective.

According to the facts of the case, on May 14, 2015, Afoko’s brother, Paul Afoko, and Kwabena Agyepong, then National Chairman and General Secretary respectively of the NPP, went to Bolgatanga for a meeting.

Alhaji Mahama, the prosecu­tion claimed, organised thugs to violently attack the two, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azum­solon Guest House, while accusing them of campaigning against the then NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and also not notifying him (Mahama) of the meeting.

The situation, according to the prosecution, was later brought under control by the police, but Afoko, who was then upset, con­fronted Mahama, but was chased away by some thugs.

The facts also noted that Afoko and one Asabke Alangdi formed another youth group in a bid to protect persons perceived to be against Nana Akufo-Addo.

It said Afoko and Alangdi held a series of meetings with the youth, and on May 20, 2015, they laid am­bush at Mahama’s residence with a substance suspected to be acid.

“Mahama 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, Afoko and Asabke went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.

“Mahama 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.“Mahama started screaming for help, and his wife, Hajia Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle,” the prosecution stated.

BY MALIK SULLEMANA

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