Afoko Gets Bail …After Several Failed Attempts

An Accra High Court (Criminal Division) has granted bail to Gregory Afoko, one of the two suspects standing trial for killed the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, in 2015.

Afoko was admitted to bail in the sum of ¢500,000 with two sureties, one of which must be justified.

As part of the bail conditions, the court, presided over by Justice George Buadi, also ordered Afoko to report himself to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service every two weeks.

The bail was as a result of a bail application filed by Afoko’s lawyers.

Afoko’s success at bail follows several failed ones since 2015 when he was arrested by the police in connection to the death of the NPP Man.

Afoko is currently facing committal proceedings at the District Court.

This was after the Attorney- General (A-G) filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue his trial at the High Court which started in 2016 following the arrest of a second suspect, Asabke Alangdi.

Background

Alhaji Mahama suffered severe bodily injuries after a substance suspected to be acid was allegedly poured on him in front of his house in Bolgatanga on May 20, 2015. He later died from the injuries at the Bolgatanga General Hospital.

Afoko’s trial started in 2016 and was nearing completion after the prosecution and the defence had closed their cases.

On January 26, 2019, Afoko closed his case after he and his brother, John Ishmael Afoko, had testified.

The prosecution, led by a Chief State Attorney, Matthew Amponsah, had called 14 individuals as prosecution witnesses.

Subsequently, the presiding judge, Justice Lawrence Mensah, directed the two parties to file their written addresses.

Nolle prosequi

However, on January 28, 2019, the A-G filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue the trial following the arrest of the other suspect, Asabke Alangdi, who had been on the run since the incident occurred in 2015.

Afoko and Alangdi were then put before the Accra Central District Court on provisional charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder for committal proceedings, which are a prelude to the trial at the High Court.