An Accra High Court has received the full medical report on Gregory Afoko, who is facing trial for allegedly murdering the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama.

The court had ordered the Medical Directorate of the Ghana Prisons Service at Nsawam to send Afoko to the Department of Surgery of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital for examination and report to the court accordingly.

This was after his lawyer, Osafo Buabeng had informed the court of the peculiar medical problem of Afoko.

Before the legal vacation, the prosecution, led by Mathew Amponsah, a senior state attorney and the defence lawyer, met in the chambers of the presiding judge to discuss the matter.

When the judge returned to the court, he stated that the medical report on Afoko had not been presented to the court.

However, he indicated that “the growth was increasing” without stating what the exact medical condition.

The report was, however, not released when the court went on the legal vacation for two months.

When the trial resumed yesterday, the court, presided over by Justice Lawrence L. Mensah, stated that the report had been released to the court by the medical officer at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

He said the medical report indicated that the growth is benign and that Afoko told him (Justice Mensah) that he was okay.

Justice Mensah revealed that given the circumstances, the trial would continue and subsequently asked the prosecution to present its next witness during the next sitting. The case was adjourned to October 11, 2018.

Trial

Afoko has been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder.

He has pleaded not guilty before the court, which is also composed of a seven-member jury.

The pathologist earlier told the court that the late Adams Mahama remained conscious, fully alert and well-oriented moments before his death on May 21, 2018.

He said although late Adams suffered first and second degree burns, it was easy for him to answer questions posed to him.

He told the court that the fact that Adams Mahama sustained 81 percent body burns does not necessarily mean he was in excruciating pain.

On the cause of death, the pathologist told the court that Adams Mahama died an unnatural death due to extensive acid burns.

“He had extensive burns involving both the upper and the lower limbs, the head and face, chest – both the front and the back, the abdominal wall, the front and the back. If you take the whole body as 100 percent, then 81 percent of the body was burnt,” Dr. Edusei confirmed.

The pathologist further informed the court that the late Adams Mahama suffered dead skin as result of the acid burns.