A new jury, has been constituted, by the High Court in Accra, in the re-trial of Gregory Afoko, the man alleged to have caused the death of the late Upper East Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Adams Mahama.
The trial of Mr Afoko and one other, was declared a mistrial last December after the jury was unable to reach a verdict by the required voting margin. Meanwhile Gregory Afoko, has entered a not guilty plea for two counts of conspiracy and murder, while his co-accused, Asabke Alangde, who was found guilty of conspiracy, in the previous trial also pleaded not guilty to murder.
This is the third time Gregory Afoko, is standing trial for nine continuous years. On December 21, 2023, the General Jurisdiction 11 division of the High Court in Accra, sentenced Alangdi Asabke, the second accused person who was on trial alongside Gregory Afoko, over the May 20, 2015 Murder of the former Upper East NPP Regional Chairman, Alhaji Adams Mahama.
His sentencing followed a unanimous verdict returned by a seven-member jury who conducted the trial. However, in the case of Gregory Afoko, the first accused, the Court ruled a re-trial, after the jury returned a 4-3 not guilty verdict for the charges of murder and conspiracy. The two allegedly poured a substance believed to be acid on Alhaji Adams Mahama leading to his death in 2015, which the two have insisted on their innocence.
On Thursday January 18, 2024, a total of four men and three women, were selected by the accused persons, to hear their case. Prosecuting, Marina Appiah Opare told the Court, prosecution intends to rely on 16 Witnesses from the previous trial, and all processes from the last court. Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, the judge of the trial court, after agreeing with the parties and the jury on some dates to call the case, set February 2, 2024 for Case Management Conference and for the parties also to address the jury. Meanwhile, the prosecution, is expected to call its first witness February 26, 2024.
