Court adjourns Afoko’s  trial to January 30

Court adjourns Afoko’s trial to January 30

The trial of Gregory Afoko, the man linked to the murder of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, was last Wednesday adjourned to January 30, 2016, after prosecutors once again failed to produce a bill of indictment on him.

This is the fourth time that the case had had to be adjourned as a result of the state’s failure to prepare and serve a bill of indictment on the accused.

 

Afoko, who has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and murder, is challenged to have poured acid on Mahama, leading to his death.

Facing the same charges is Asabke Alangdi, who is on the run.

 A third accomplice, Musa Issa, was granted bail after the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) office had advised that there was not enough evidence to charge him.

  Reasons for adjournment

Applying for an adjournment, the prosecutor, Superintendent of Police Mr Francis Baah, told the Magistrate’s Court that the bill of indictment was yet to be prepared by the A-G’s Department and for it to be filed.

He said that morning he had called a Senior State Attorney, whom he named as Mr Amponsah, the one responsible for the preparation of the bill of indictment, but could not reach him.

He, however, said that he would try to obtain the bill of indictment from the A-G’s Department by  January 30, 2016.

 Defence’s reaction

However, the prosecutor’s submission was not taken kindly by the defence team, who accused the prosecution of feet dragging.

Mrs Bridget Ampadu, one of the lawyers for Afoko, told the court that the undue delay in the commencement of the case was not only hampering the expeditious trial of the accused but also putting his liberty at stake.

“The State should tell us when we will have the bill of indictment for the trial to begin. We want to know now if it is ready and when it is going to file it.

“However, if the State does not have enough evidence, our client should be discharged,” she said.

 

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