The High Court in Accra on Friday, February 21, 2025, granted bail in the sum of GH₵500,000 with two sureties to Mr Gregory Afoko after almost a decade on remand while standing trial for his alleged role in the murder of the late Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama.

The Court presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons ordered him to produce two sureties, one of whom is to be justified with a landed property.

He's also expected to report to the police investigator on the case. His previous bail applications had been denied under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.

Afoko and his co-defendant, Asabke, who was earlier convicted and sentenced to death for conspiracy, are currently facing retrial for murder.

The two have had their plea retaken, and the fifth prosecution witness has already been discharged with the six expected before the Court presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons.

They are alleged to have poured acid on Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Regional chairman of the NPP, leading to his death on May 20, 2015.

Gregory Afoko is brother to a former NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko, who was suspended from the party in October of that same year, 2015. In court on Friday, the prosecution did not oppose the bail application, after the defence lawyers had offered sufficient proof that they could meet the bail conditions.

The defence counsel told the Court that, the brother of the accused Paul Afoko, is ready to stand as surety for him and has a fixed place of abode.

The suspect had two trials - one was aborted in 2019 and the other went through full trial and jury returned verdict on April 27, 2023.

Afoko’s previous trial ended in a hung jury, with a 4-3 not guilty verdict in his favour on April 27, 2023.

The court ordered a retrial, which is currently underway with the substantive hearing adjourned to March 5, 2025.

Brief facts

The brief facts of the case, were that on May 14, 2015, Gregory’s brother, Paul Afoko, and Kwabena Agyepong, then then national chairman and general secretary, respectively, of the NPP arrived in Bolgatanga for a meeting.

It stated that, the deceased, organised some thugs to violently attack the two, scuttling the planned meeting at the Azumsolon Guest House, for campaigning against the then NPP flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and also not notifying him of the meeting.

The situation, according to the prosecution, was later brought under control by the police, adding that the accused, who was then upset, confronted Mahama but was chased out by thugs.

Another group

It also noted that Gregory and Asabke formed another youth group in their bid to protect persons perceived to be against Nana Akufo-Addo.

It said the accused persons held a series of meetings with the youth and on May 20, 2015, they laid ambush at Mahama’s residence with a substance suspected to be acid. ‘The deceased returned home around 11:10 p.m. in his pick-up vehicle, with registration number NR 761 – 14, and immediately he parked the vehicle in front of his house, the suspects went close and signalled him to roll down the glass.

The deceased identified the suspects to be party members and rolled down the glass to talk to them.

Suddenly, the suspects poured the substance suspected to be acid on his head, face and other parts of his body and fled on a motorbike.

‘The deceased started screaming for help and his wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams, went to his aid and managed to bring him out of the vehicle, the prosecution added.

Injuries

According to the prosecution, Mahama’s wife also sustained burns on the right side of her chest and breast while assisting her husband.

It said when she enquired about what had happened to her husband, he told her Gregory and Asabke had attacked him.

Mahama died while being airlifted to Accra for treatment.

Gregory, who was later picked up, led the police to Asabke’s father’s house. The police later located Asabke’s house but he had then absconded with his wife, abandoning their baby in the process.

A post-mortem report on Mahama said he died of shocked lungs and extensive acid burns.