An Accra High Court, for the second time, yesterday could not hear the case in which 52-year-old Gregory Afoko is being tried over the death of Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
This was because the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, was yet to respond to the petition filed by the brothers of the late Adams.
When the case was due for hearing yesterday, the trial judge, Justice L.L. Mensah, who the petitioners want changed, said there had not been any official reaction from the registrar of the court in respect of the petition to the CJ.
The case was consequently adjourned until May 13, 2016.
This was after Ekow Ampah Korsah, lawyer for Afoko, had told the court that at the last adjourned date, a petition was filed and that they were back in court for the outcome.
Matthew Amponsah, a Senior State Attorney, also noted that the prosecution was also waiting for the response.
The brothers of the slain legislator in an April 13, 2016 petition addressed to the CJ claimed that per the posturing of the judge, justice was likely to elude them.
The petitioners—Nuhu Issah Akabila and Yussif Mahama—noted that “From the conduct of the justice, we are very disturbed that he has given the accused person a special treatment by his shocking ruling that the accused be kept in police custody rather than prison custody as in all murder cases. Why is he giving Gregory Afoko, the accused herein, a favour as it were?”
As a result, they are requesting the CJ to assign the case to a new judge.
“Although we do not want to choose a judge to sit on our late brother’s murder trial, we are very much convinced that the justice has started the case on a wrong footing and as a result, we pray that the case should be assigned to a new justice who will be conscious of the circumstances of the case and will not be influenced in any way by any consideration,” they said.
Gregory has denied the charges of conspiracy to murder and murder.
The accused is standing trial for intentionally and unlawfully causing the death of Adams on May 20, 2015 at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region following an acid bath.
According to the Attorney General (AG), Afoko must be charged for conspiracy to murder and murder while one Issah Musah, a member of the NPP who was alleged to have on May 19, 2015 solicited and procured the deadly acid which he gave to two other suspects who in turn poured the substance on Adams, must be freed.
Asabke Alangdi, the third accused, has been on the run together with his wife, leaving behind their one-and-a-half-year-old baby.
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