Doubts Over Afoko ‘Killer Acid’

Lawyers for 52-year-old Gregory Afoko are doubting that a gallon purportedly found on the compound of the late Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) contained acid.

In the view of Osafo Boabeng, lawyer for the accused, Touffic Mutalla, the fourth witness in the trial cannot be sure of the substance in the gallon.

During cross-examination in court yesterday, Afoko’s lawyer asked  “…so you would not be in a position to say the gallon contained some substance or not…”

Answering, Touffic who has been telling the court the circumstances leading to the death of Mr. Adams noted that Hajia Zainabu Adams, wife of the deceased did not pick the said gallon with her bare hands.

He explained that Hajia Zainabu wore a polythene bag on her hand before picking the gallon believed to have contained the deadly substance to the police.

In the view of Mr. Boabeng, then it was safe to assume that Hajia Zainabu knew the content of the gallon.

To that the witness contended that it was possible Hajia Zainabu knew the content of the gallon because of what had happened to her husband.

Touffic, however, denied the vehement assertion by the lawyer that contractors use acid to weaken the foundation of pillars before they were pulled down.

Mr. Boabeng among other things claimed that the four persons who were at the hospital with the deceased did not report the incident to the police.

Sitting continues on November 14.

Touffic said the late Adams told him on his dying bed that Gregory  Afoko and one Asabeke Allandi poured the substance (acid) on him.

He stated that the deceased knowing he would die tasked him (Touffic) to take care of his wife and children.

Earlier, led in evidence by Matthew Amponsah, a Chief State Attorney yesterday, Touffic quoting the deceased added “Asabeke and Gregory Afoko are those who caused harm to me and I don’t want to die without giving you this piece of information.”

The Accra Criminal High Court presided over by Justice L.L. Mensah, further heard that the  late Adams again repeated his statement to his wife Hajia Zainabu in the presence of other persons including the nurses taking care of him at the emergency word of the hospital.

Touffic stated that when he got to the hospital, he saw the deceased laying on the hospital bed naked and in pain wailing with his skin peeling off.

The witness intimated that minutes after he had dispersed with the late Adams, he had a telephone call from Zainabu Adams, wife of the deceased asking him to meet them at the hospital because someone had poured a substance on Adams.

He stated that earlier on the day of the incident, he and Adams were at the site where the deceased was building a hotel near the Ex-Tee hotel along the Bolgatanga-Tamale road.

Touffic who claimed he knew Gregory as a Rastafarian and Asabeke as a resident in the region added that he was grateful to God that Adams had mentioned the names of the suspects  to him because he knows both Gregory and Asabeke.

So far, the state has presented three witnesses, including Hajia Zainabu Adams, wife of the late NPP regional chairman, Zuwera Issaka and Asigiri Quinn.

The witness has over the weeks been telling the court about the circumstances leading to the death of Adams (after a reported acid bath).

Gegory has been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama in May 2015.

Meanwhile he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Adams Mahama died of extensive acid burns and shock lungs (acute respiratory distress syndrome), an autopsy report has indicated.

Gregory’s alleged accomplice, Asabke, is still on the run.

Source: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher