The Supreme Court has set June 19, 2019, to determine whether or not the Attorney General (AG) should return to an Accra High Court to complete the trial of Gregory Afoko, one of the accused persons in the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama.
His lawyers in February filed an application at the apex court challenging the decision of the AG to discontinue the trial by filing a Nolle Prosequi due to the arrest of another suspect in the matter, Asabke Alagdi, in Cote d’Ivoire.
Earlier Trial
Afoko was on trial before an Accra High Court on the charge of murder to which he pleaded not guilty.
The state closed its case after calling 14 prosecution witnesses, including the wife of the late Adams Mahama, to prove its case against the accused.
Afoko subsequently opened his defence and vehemently denied the charges preferred against him.
He called his elder brother, John Afoko, as the only witness in the matter.
The court, presided over by Justice Lawrence L. Mensah, ordered Afoko to file his statement.
Both parties also took turns to address the court before the decision of the jury.
Nolle Prosequi
But on January 28, 2019, the state entered Nolle Prosequi to discontinue the matter, which had been before the court since 2016, owing to the arrest of Asabke Alangdi, who fled to Cote d’Ivoire to escape arrest.
But lawyers for Afoko filed a motion at the apex court to challenge the decision of the AG to enter Nolle Prosequi.
Fate
A Supreme Court presided over by Justice Julius Ansah and assisted by Justices Jones Dotse, Anin Yeboah, Gabriel Pwamang, Samuel Marful-Sau, Agnes M.A. Dordzie and Nii Ashie Kotey, as members, set June 11 to give its judgment.
This was after Afoko’s lawyer, Osafo Buabeng and Marina Appiah Ohene, a Chief State Attorney, told the court that they had filed their memorandum of agreed issues which the court should consider.
Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi are before the magistrate court on two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama, who died of severe acid burns.
The two, who have been accused of pouring acid on the late NPP member, were taken into the custody of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) pending the trial.
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