Afoko For Nsawam Prisons

An Accra High Court (Criminal Division) has ordered the transfer of 52-year-old Gregory Afoko from the East Legon Police Station to the Nsawam Prisons. The order follows frantic efforts by Ekow Ampah Korsah, lawyer for the accused who is being tried over the death of Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to prevent the transfer. He argued that the investigator in the case had not complained of any inconvenience in brining the accused to court to stand trial. Mr. Korsah, among other things, stated, �When prosecution does that, we do not know who actually authorized that petition.� State prosecutors, led by Matthew Amponsah, a Senior State Attorney, had made a strong case for Afoko, a farmer, to be sent to the Nsawam Prisons because the police station was congested. Prison Consequently, trial judge Justice L.L. Mensah ruled in favour of the prosecution, indicating that it was appropriate to send Gregory into prison custody, especially when the hearing of the case had commenced. Earlier, the judge had granted a request by Mr. Korsah to compel the prosecution to give the defence team copies of the witness� statements and pictures taken at the scene of the crime. On that Mr. Amponsah had noted that giving the defence team the documents they were seeking was tantamount to giving them the �police docket� in respect of the case. Mr. Korsah had on the contrary stated that nowhere in the criminal procedure code has the power been given to the prosecution to reject such requests by accused persons. CJ Gives Green Light Meanwhile, the judge had noted that the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, had given him the green light to continue hearing the case before him. He said the CJ had in a response to the petition, ordered him to continue with the hearing because the basis of the petition was not one that would allow him to discontinue hearing it. Justice Mensah said, �I want to assure everybody that the court is here to do justice, as I sit here called the judge, I am going to appear before the owner [God] of the court.� He added, �We must allow the court to do its work, we [as judges] do not look into any face, height, colour, race or anything.� Nuhu Issah Akabila and Yussif Mahama, brothers of the slain legislator, in an April 13, 2016, petitioned the CJ, claiming among other things, that per the posturing of the judge, justice was likely to elude them. Hearing continues on May 31, 2016. Meanwhile, Gregory has denied the charges of conspiracy to murder and murder. Charges 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.