Produce Witness Today – Judge Tells A-G

An Accra High Court hearing the murder trial of Gregory Afoko has ordered the Attorney-General (A-G) to produce its next witness in the case today.

The court said it would not accept claims by the prosecutor, Matthew Amposah that its next witness he only named as Dr. Edusei has traveled.

Justice L. L.  Mensah stressing that the matter before him has to be tried expeditiously, held that the prosecution ought to produce its next witness today.

He said “Get him to Court tomorrow (today); I don’t want you to say he has traveled.”

The judge’s comment follows claims by the prosecutor that the next witness expected to testify in the trial is on retirement.

He stated that the witness has also travelled and has to be subpoenaed.

Mr. Amponsah informed the court that the prosecution would call the case investigator as the last witness in the matter.

Gregory is in the dock over the alleged murder of Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP.

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

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.

The prosecution intends to call 13 witnesses in the trial.

So far the prosecution has called twelve witnesses in the matter including Hajia Zainab Adams, the wife of the deceased.

Detective Chief Inspector Charles Blay who is the twelfth witness in the hearing yesterday told the court that the deceased died the following day after the incident on May 21.

He stated that soon after, there was instruction that a team of investigators from Accra Homicide Unit should take over the case indicating that although the team was asked to take over the case, he worked alongside with the team and took statements from witnesses.

Detective Chief Inspector Blay stated that his colleague Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah took the witness statement of Hajia Adams in his presence in her house on May 22 2015.

The witness further told the court in evidence that Hajia had acid burns on her right hand and breast as a result of getting into contact with the deceased who was screaming in his car over the acid poured on him.

Under cross-examination, lawyer for Gregory, 52, Osarfo Boabeng was skeptical about the witness being present when the statement of Hajia Zainab was taken.

He said Detective Chief Inspector Charles Blay’s name was not indicated anywhere as being present when Hajia Zainab’s statement was taken by the police.

On that the police officer said his name was not written but he was present arguing that that’s not the norm in writing a witness statement.

Lawyer Boabeng stated “Am suggesting to you that the statement of PW1 (Hajia Zainab) was written in the presence of a lady by name Christiana Bentie Sai and you were not present…”

Gregory’s lawyer further added: “you gave a statement to the police yourself; in that statement you indicated that you took statement from neighbors of the deceased and not PW1”.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson