Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Source: classfmonline.com

Afoko murder case adjourned to May 3

Gregory Afoko Gregory Afoko

An Accra High Court presided over by Justice Lawrence Lazaglah Mensah has adjourned the case in which Gregory Afoko stands accused for allegedly murdering New Patriotic Party (NPP) Upper East Regional Chairman, Adams Mahama, to May 3, 2016.

This was for the court to await the directive of the Chief Justice on a petition by the family of the deceased on the judge’s handling of the case.

Afoko has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and murder.

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

The deceased organised some thugs to violently attack them for campaigning against the flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and also for not notifying him of their coming to the town, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azumsolon Guest House. The situation was later brought under control by the police according to the prosecution.

The prosecution said an upset Mr Afoko confronted Mahama but was chased out by thugs.

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

When the deceased returned home in his pickup vehicle, with registration number NR 761-14, the suspects went close and signalled him to roll down the glass. The deceased identified the suspects to be party members, rolled down the glass, but the suspect poured the substance suspected to be acid on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled.

The deceased died later before he could be airlifted to Accra for further treatment.