Gregory Afoko finally granted GH¢500,000 bail

 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 been granted GH¢500,000 by the Accra High Court.

He is to report to the Director General of the Criminal Investi­gations Department (CID) once every two weeks pending the determination of the case.

The court, presided over by Justice Married Louis-Summons, ordered Afoko to produce two sureties, one to be justified.

Afoko filed his third appli­cation for bail on February 17, almost ten years since the trial began.

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 on Friday.

“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.

“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 attack the two, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azumsolon Guest House, while accus­ing them of campaigning against the then NPP flagbearer, 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 prosecution noted that Afoko and 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.”

The court heard that Maha­ma identified the suspects to be party members, and rolled down the glass to talk to them, and 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.

 MALIK SULLEMANA

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