Gregory Afoko (arrowed) when he appeared in court on Tuesday
An
Accra Magistrate Court has remanded the junior brother of New Patriotic
Party Chairman, Paul Afoko, to Police custody, it has been reported.
Gregory
Afoko, together with his accomplice Asabke Alangdi, who is said to be
on the run, is standing trial for the murder of Upper East Region
chairman of the party, Adams Mahama, who died last week Thursday after
he was attacked with acid.
Alhaji Mahama was returning home in
his car from the office at about 11 p.m. last Wednesday when the two
allegedly flagged him to stop. Thinking it was members of his party who
had official issues to discuss, he stopped, only for the two to pour
acid on him.
He was rushed to hospital but died later. The two
suspects, including Gregory Afoko, have been fingered in the attack by
the police.
Alhaji Mahama has since been buried according to Islamic traditions.
According to the charge sheet presented by the Police, Gregory Afoko on the day the incident happened was with the Alangdi who is currently at large.
Asabke Alangdi escaped with his wife leaving their baby behind after he had hints that the Police were after him.
Reports
monitored from court proceedings indicated that there was a heated
argument between the two opposing counsels over a bail application
brought by defence attorneys.
JoyFM's Kwakye Afreh Nuamah,
reported that when the State Prosecutor, Superintendent Francis Baah
mentioned the suspect as being the brother of the NPP chair, Paul Afoko,
while reading the charges, it did not sit down well with the Defence
Team headed by Stephen Ampah Korsah.
The defence counsel swiftly
raised an objection drawing the court's attention that it was
unnecessary to link the NPP chair to the case because he had nothing to
do with it.
Lawyer Ampah Korsah again raised an objection when
the state prosecutor appealed to the Magistrate, Worlanyo Kotoku to keep
the suspect on remand until investigations have been concluded.
He
argued that the appeal for remand by the state prosecutor had no basis
there was no evidence to substantiate the charges of murder leveled
against his client.
This degenerated into an exhibition of legal
prowess with Superintendent Baah insisting that while the state had
prima facie evidence to nail the suspect, they needed time to conclude
investigations. He also argued that since murder offences are
non-bailable, the suspect had to be kept in police custody.
The
Magistrate, Worlanyo Kotoku ruled in favour of the prosecution and
admitted the suspect to police custody to reappear on July 9, 2015.
Adams
Mahama’s death has deepened divisions within the NPP, with some party
supporters calling for Paul Afoko and General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong
to step aside.
Earlier, National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko
defended his brother, saying, Gregory Afoko was asleep at the time the
incident happened.
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