Gregory Afoko is to be retried, however, Asabke Alangdi has been sentenced to death by the Accra High Court over the murder of Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP}, in 2015.
Alangdi was unanimously found guilty for conspiracy to commit murder by a seven-member jury.
Hung jury for Afoko but Asabke sentenced to death
However, Gregory Afoko, who was alleged to have conspired with Asabke for the murder of Alhaji Adams will face another trial over the alleged murder
That was after the jury returned a 4:3 verdict finding Afoko not guilty of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Per the Criminal Procedure Act, 1960 (Act 30), a verdict of 4:3 by a jury in a murder trial means it is a hung jury and there must be a retrial.
Lawyers for Asabke have however vowed to appeal the death sentence of their client.
According to them, they wondered how the jury could have found Asabke guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and acquit Afoko of the same charge of conspiracy.
“How can a person conspired against himself , be found guilty and the person that he was accused of conspiring with is found not guilty,” one of the lawyers said.
What happened in court today
After four hours of summary of evidence today by the presiding judge, the seven-member jury retired to determine the fate of Gregory Afoko and Asante Alangdi, the men accused of killing Adams Mahama, a former Upper East Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Graphic Online’s Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson reported from the court that the jury retired after the presiding judge, Justice Afua Merley Wood, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, sitting as an additional High Court judge, presented the evidence adduced before the court and also advised the jury about the position of the law relating to murder and conspiracy.
4-hour summation
During the four-hour summation of the evidence and analysis of the law, Justice Wood advised the jury to consider the totality of the evidence without any outside influence such as media reportage on the case.
She further directed the jury to convict the accused persons if the evidence proved their guilt but to acquit them if they have any doubt about the case of the prosecution.
Not guilty
Afoko and Alangdi pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Alhaji Mahama suffered severe bodily injury after a substance suspected to be acid was allegedly poured on him in front of his house in Bolgatanga around 11 p.m. on May 20, 2015.
He later died from the injuries at the Bolgatanga General Hospital.
Prosecution have accused the two of pouring the acid on the former politician leading to his death .
more to follow…
Source: Graphic Online
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