The trial for the alleged murderers of the late Upper East NPP chairman Adams Mahama commenced yesterday with Paul Afoko’s younger brother Gregory Afoko the main suspect.
Gregory was charged with murder, with the prosecution alleging that he and one Asabke Alanbi were the two people who poured the acid on Mr Mahama that led to his untimely death.
The defence requested bail but the trial judge ruled that murder is a non-bail able offence and remanded Gregory into custody.
The second defendant is said to be on the run, as police say he’s fled his Upper East residence with his wife, the two leaving their baby behind. A gallon of acid was found at the scene.
The autopsy of the deceased revealed he died of excessive acid burns and shock lungs. The trial judge adjourned the case till June 9 to allow police to conclude their investigations.
Read the full charge sheet for the defendant below…
The deceased Adams Mahama until his untimely death was a contractor and the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
The 1st suspect Gregory Afoko is a farmer, an NPP youth activist and a younger brother to Mr. Paul Afoko, National Chairman of the same party whiles the 2 nd suspect Asabke Alangdi is also a party member.
During the early part of May, 2015, Mr. Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, National Chairman and General Secretary respectively of the NPP embarked on a tour. On the 14th day of May 2015, the National Chairman and the General Secretary arrived in Bolgatanga. The deceased organized some thugs to violently attack them, scuttling the planned meeting at Azumsolom Guest House for campaigning against the flagbearer, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo and also not notifying him.
The situation was later brought under control by the police. The 1st suspect was not impressed with the action taken by the regional chairman, and as a result had serious confrontation with the deceased until he was chased away by the thugs. Later the 1st and 2nd suspects mobilized some youth to form another group with the sole aim to protect party executives perceived to be against Nana Akufo Addo’s bid.
The suspects and other members has a series of meetings and in the evening of 20th May 2015, two assailants now identified as the 1st and 2 nd suspects, armed with a substance in a gallon suspected to be acid, laid ambush at the deceased’s residence.
The deceased returned home around 11:00pm in his pick-up vehicle with registration No. 761-14 and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house; the suspects went close, signaled him to roll down the glass.
The deceased identified the suspects to be his party members, rolled down the glass to talk to them. Suddenly, the suspects poured the substance suspected to be acid on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled on a motorbike.
The deceased started screaming for help and his wife; Hajia Zenabu Adams came to the aid of her husband and managed to bring him out of the vehicle. In the process she sustained burns on the right side of her chest and breast. The wife enquired to know what happened to him and the deceased told her that it was the 1st and 2nd suspects who poured the substance on him.
The deceased, who could not withstand the pains was still shouting and started removing his clothes. This attracted the attention of the neighbours who took him to the Upper East Regional Hospital. The deceased repeatedly mentioned the names of the 1st and 2nd suspects as those who poured the substance on him to neighbours and friends who came to his aid and rushed him to the hospital. While the deceased was being prepared to be airlifted to Accra for intensive care, he was pronounced dead.
During investigations, the 1st suspect was arrested in his house and when asked to lead police to the house of the 2 nd suspect, he rather took them to the father’s house.
Police later located the house of the 2nd suspect but he had got wind of their presence and absconded with his wife, leaving behind their baby. A gallon which contained some of the substance and a plastic cup were retrieved at the scene for forensic examination.
Post Mortem examination was conducted on the body of the deceased and the Pathologist gave the cause of death as
- Shock lungs
- Extensive Acid burns
The investigation is still ongoing.
i smell something fishy. This man was sent hmmm