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Chief Justice of Ghana, Her Lordship Justice Sophia Akuffo has been implored to appoint a dedicated judge to handle the fresh trial of the murder of Adams Mahama, the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), following the arrest of Asabke Alangdi, another suspect in the case.

Asabke Alangdi, who fled in May 2015, to escape prosecution as the second suspect in the murder of Adams Mahama, was finally caught by the long arm of the law in Cote d’Ivoire.

Ghana’s security agencies arrested Alangdi with the aid of Interpol on January, 25, 2019 after more than a year of surveillance and search, during which the fugitive was said to have moved from Burkina Faso to Ivory Coast.

Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, announcing the development at a news conference in Accra, on Monday, said the arrest had necessitated the filing of a Nolle Prosequi in respect of the trial of Afoko, which had been adjourned till 20th February, 2019, for his lawyers to address the Court. 

Thus, the state earlier in the afternoon, filed the Nolle Prosequi at the High Court with the objective of discontinuing the trial to enable the two accused persons to be jointly tried to best serve the interest of justice.

Explaining on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Hon. Oppong Nkrumah said “even though the law permits that the case of Afoko can be tried alone without the involvement of the second murder suspect, the same law also permits the state to discontinue Afoko’s case and try them both in court and that is the option we chose”.

“We are about to start the trial afresh and that is why we are pleading with the Chief Justice to give us a dedicated Judge to handle the case with speed so that the trial will not prolong as the first trial of Gregory Afoko travelled. So we will ask Chief Justice for a dedicated Judge who has a proclivity for adjourning cases for two to three weeks but have more regular hearings in court on daily basis,” he pleaded.

It would be recalled that Mr Mahama was attacked while he was in front of his house at Bolgatanga with acid, on May 20, 2015, which led to his death in the hospital.

Police blamed Afoko and Alangdi for the attack following their investigations. 

Afoko has since his apprehension by the Police been on trial at an Accra High Court, presided by Justice Lawrence L. Mensah (JA) sitting as an additional High Court Judge.