Gregory Afoko, who has been accused of murdering the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has told an Accra High Court that he did not write his caution statement to the police.
He said: “The policeman wrote the statement for me; I could not see his hand writing very well and at the time, I was not having my spectacles. So I signed when he finished and asked me to sign.”
Afoko made this statement during cross examination by the prosecutor – Mathew Amponsah – on Tuesday in Accra.
He said he gave the statement on May 22 in the presence of his brother Lawyer Amoak Afoko and an independent witness, one Issah – a worker at the Tamale Police Station who was called to come and witness.
When asked to explain whether his brother was not there when he gave the statement . . . he answered that he did not call his brother to come, but he only came in to check up on him because they had moved him to Tamale.
“The policeman who wrote the statement read it to the labourer and gave it to me to sign,” he revealed.
He earlier told the court that he was related to Adams Mahama because he (Afoko’s) grandfather who was the Chief of Sandema gave Mr. Adams grandfather land to settle on and he got married to one of his sisters.
He asserted that he and Adams knew each other very well and worked together with his elder brother John Afoko some time ago.
He disclosed that Paul Afoko, the former National Chairman of the NPP, was his elder brother – the first born of his mother and father. He was elected as the National Chairman in 2014.
The accused stated that on May 14, 2015, Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, who was then the General Secretary of the NPP, went to Bolgatanga to hold a meeting for the NPP regional executives at the Azonson guest house, but he did not attend that meeting because he was not an executive member.
He said he heard the meeting was stopped by Mr Adams, but did not take any offense and never decided to avenge his action. And that it was not true that he and Asabke poured the acid on Mr Adams in the night of May 20, 2015.
He denied that he and Asabke organised a series of meetings with the NPP youth in Bolgatanga to incite them against Mr Adams, saying he could not do that because they were a family and also members of the same party.
Afoko told the court that on May 16, 2015, there was an NPP youth meeting attended by other people including Asabke, Dominic Apaya and Awafo Akelesiya, but they had no venue so they asked him for help and he provided his father’s hotel where the party usually held its meetings.
He said he and Asabke were not involved in organising the meeting, but he attended. The agenda was about the welfare of the party so they came to discuss what had happened the previous day; they did not attack anyone.
He however accepted the fact that he was the one who proposed at the meeting that NPP youth wing be formed for the party in Bolgatanga because they all came from different areas within Bolgatanga. So they wanted a central point where they could all meet to discuss the welfare of the party.
According to him, he also suggested that the proposed youth wing be named after his elder brother – Mr Paul Afoko.
When asked where he met Asabke and Dominic on May 21, 2015, he said Dominic and Asabke were seated at the table when they invited Awafo Akelesiya because they lived in the same area and knew him.
He said they sat outside the drinking spot that formed part of Dominic’s house and bought some beer for them.
When asked what time Asabke arrived at the drinking spot, he answered that he could not recollect, but he knew that he didn’t have much time to waste there, since he had to go and administer medication to his sick father.
He said the main purpose of the meeting at the spot was to go and hand two party flags to Dominic, but could not also recollect the time he left there because when he got there he bought them some drinks. After they finished drinking the first bottle of beer, Akelesiya was invited and I ordered for another set of drinks for them. Later, I realised time was running out so I left.
He reiterated that he got home at exactly 2000 hours as he said earlier because when he got home he parked his motorbike and locked it. Upon entering the house, he realised time was due to administer medication to his father.
He denied the assertion by the prosecutor that it was not true that he sat at the drinking spot up to 2300 hours that night and that he left the drinking spot together with the three others at about that time.
“After buying the second round of drinks for the three of them, I realised it was getting late in going home, so I said goodbye to them. When I sat on my motorbike to leave, Asabke said he would like to alight at his junction so he took his bottle of beer, sat behind the motorbike and left. Meanwhile, the drinking spot is at Dominic’s house, so I do not know how they dispersed.”
He told the court that on May 20, immediately he administered the medication to his father around 2000 hours, he did not go out again.
At this stage, the case was adjourned to November 30 for continuation of cross examination.
Afoko, a farmer, is alleged to have killed Mr Mahama on May 20, 2015, and he is being held on the charges of conspiracy to commit crime.
He has pleaded not guilty before the court, which is also composed of a seven-member jury.
It was alleged that Afoko carried out the act with Alandgi Asabke, who is currently on the run.
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