Mr. Gregory Afoko, the man accused of the murder of Adams Mahama has told an Accra High Court one Superintendent William Sedoame told him the samples of his fingerprints did not match with what was contained in the acid gallon and cup which was used in the murder of Adams Mahama.

The accused who open his defense was giving his evidence-in-chief led by Osafo Buaben stated it was after he had been taken to the police headquarters where his fingerprints were taken.

“So they took me to the police station at East Legon. The following morning they came and said they needed my fingerprints. So they took my fingerprints at the police headquarters and proceeded to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Plastic Surgery Unit. They told two doctors that the wound they saw on my leg may be there due to acid burns. So the doctors made remove my clothes and examined my whole body. After that, they gave them a report signed and stamped by both doctors. After all that Supt. Sedoame and PW14 sent me to the police headquarters and during a conversation between us they told me that the fingerprints that were found on the gallon and the cup were not mine.” He told the court.

According to him, he asked to be released since it had been established from the fingerprints he was not the one but the policeman responded “They told me no unless they bring me to court”

Read the full text of the evidence-in-chief below

Gregory Afoko opens his defence in the rep. Vrs. Gregory Afoko. Osafo Buaben, Esq. led him in his Evidence-In-Chief

My name is Gregory Francis Asianab Afoko. I live in Bolgatanga and I am a farmer.

Q: You have been charged for conspiring with one Asabke Alangdi to murder and murdering Mahama Adams on the 20th May 2015. What do you have to tell the court in respect of these charges against you?

A: That is not true. Why I say so is that I have not and never conspired with anybody to commit such an act.

Q: Can you tell the court your activities on 20/5/2015?

A: On the 20/5/2015, I had my sick father whom I had been taking care of for one year three months prior to the event that brought me to this court. And he had prostate cancer and he was on medication. So when he took his supper two hours later I gave him the medicine which was a devotional practice. On 20/5/2015 he finished eating around 6:15pm, and I left home on my motorbike to meet some of our NPP party members.

I met with one Asabke Alangdi and Dominic Apaaya Baba (PW5). We met at PW5’s house where there is a drinking spot. PW5 and Asabke are cousins and live at the same place. When I got there they drink alcohol so I bought beers for them. When they were drinking one old man that I did not know was invited by PW5 and Asabke to join all of us. By then we had already finished what we were discussing about what we would do the following day. By then my time was running out for me to go and administer medicine to my father. So I good bye them and left. When I was about to leave, Asabke said I should drop him by the junction so he joined me and I dropped by the way and got home at exactly 8:00pm. I went into the room and gave medicine to my dad and both of us retired to bed. I never went out again till somewhere 2:00 to 3:00am the following day, I heard the voice of DSP Agbanyo (PW7) mention the name, “Afoko”. So my dad got up and used his hand to tap me that I should go out. When I went outside through the hall door, someone held me by my boxer shorts and said I was under arrest. So I said for what? He told me when we get to the police station they will tell me what I have done. In fact they were many and they started searching the whole house.

Q: Who were these people?

A:I mean the policemen including Tofic (PW4).

I took them into my room. They searched my room and whiles they were searching my room I took a smock to wear but because the handcuffs were on my hand I could not wear it. So I gave the keys to my room to the Crime Officer after they had finished dear bong the house. I do not know the name of the Crime Officer but his personal assistant was Frimpong. They were together.

Q: Before the 21/5/15, had you met PW7?

A: Yes. Actually he had been a friend and he had been coming to the house.

When we were about leaving they said I should open the garage which I did. They went and searched a vehicle which was parked in the garage. They found nothing and they took me away. They mentioned that I should lead them to Asabke’s house. We got to Asabke’s house; they went in to look for Asabke, came back and said he was not there. Asabke’s father followed them to the vehicle and because they could not speak Frafra they asked me to ask Asabke’s father the whereabouts of Asabke. The father replied that for the past two days he had not seen him. From there they took me straight to the police station. I did not spend an hour there in the police cells at Bolgatanga. They came and picked me again and sent me to Tamale.

At Tamale, I spent two days in police cells then Chief Inspector Blay (PW12) came to take a statement from me and thereafter another team came. One Supt. William Sedoame and Chief Inspector Nkrumah (PW14) came and took me in pick up and brought me to Accra after they took photographs of me.

Q:The prosecution tendered in evidence a tracksuit trousers, Exhibit P, which they said they obtained from your room and had stains of acid. What do you say in response?

A:This is a raincoat. Since I am a motor rider, I use it for the farm. It is a top and a down all in one plastic bag. Ever since my dad felt sick I was on the farm when I heard that he had broken his hip and I rushed home, dropped my farm attire and took over my dad and brought him to Accra. So over one year I never touched the rain coat, Exhibit P. The day they came to search the house in my presence they did not find anything. When I was in Tamale cells PW14 and Supt. Sedoame on our way to Accra told me that they went to our house and took my rain coat. So I asked whether they took everything and they said no. When we got to Accra we went to the Police Headquarters. They removed the gallon and the rain coat all in one box and sent them upstairs.

I was transported in a Toyota pick-up and the items were in the bucket. I mean the back of the pick-up.

So they took me to the police station at East Legon. The following morning they came and said they needed my fingerprints. So they took my fingerprints at the police headquarters and proceeded to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the Plastic Surgery Unit. They told two doctors that the wound they saw on my leg may be there due to acid burns. So the doctors made remove my clothes and examined my whole body. After that they gave them a report signed and stamped by both doctors. After all that Supt. Sedoame and PW14 sent me to the police headquarters and during a conversation between us they told me that the fingerprints that were found on the gallon and the cup were not mine. So they were of the belief that I was not the one who did this. And I also replied that they should let me go since I was not the one who committed the crime. They told me no unless they bring me to court.

Q: In this court, PW1 (the wife of the deceased) and PW4 said in their evidence that the deceased mentioned your name and Asabke as the ones who allegedly poured the substance on him. What do you have to say in response to that?

A:That is not true. Why I said it is not true is this: myself and the late Adams are related. Secondly, we have no quarrels. Thirdly, all that the prosecution witnesses had said are not true.

Apart from the statements I gave to the police in Tamale, I did not give any other statement to the police. We came from Tamale, the police have me a form to write a statement and I replied that what I wrote earlier on in Tamale, I stood by it.

Q: Do you have anything more to tell the court in this matter?

A: What I have to tell the court is that all that they have said there is no single truth in it.

Defence Counsel: This is the Evidence-in-Chief of the Accused person.