The High Court in Accra has been forced to adjourn the trial involving Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangde due to the unavailability of the case investigator.
Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, the 16th Prosecution Witness, was expected in court to face further cross-examination.
But, the court presided over by Justice Efua Merely Wood, was informed by the prosecution that, their witness is sick.
Consequently, the case was adjourned to June 13 for the Lawyers of Asabke Alangde, the second accused person led by Andrew Kudzo Vortia to conduct further cross-examination.
According to EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah, Chief Inspector Nkrumah is the last witness for the prosecution.
On May 30, Defence Lawyer Kudzo Vortia accused the police of shoddy investigations in the matter.
Afoko and Alangde have been charged with the murder of the New Patriotic Party’s Upper East Regional Chairman Adams Mahama.
The two have both pleaded not guilty and have since been in lawful custodial while standing trial.
Andrew Kudzo Vortia, counsel for Asabke Alangde who is the second accused (A2) person while subjecting Chief Inspector Augustus Nkrumah, the investigator and 16th Prosecution Witness in the matter to cross-examination, accused him and his team of not conducting a proper investigation.
It was the contention of counsel that, if the police had acted properly on beats that were available they would have been able to arraign the real perpetrators.
When counsel put him that, the Bolga Police and Accra police did not follow little leads that will unearth a whole lot of truth because the acid was poured on the deceased 30 minutes after those two dirty slaps, the witness disagreed.
“Whatever information that came into the knowledge of the police, was properly investigated,” Chief Inspector Nkrumah told the court.
Lawyer Vortia further indicated to the court that, beyond the assertion by the wife, that the deceased mentioned names, “the police did practically noting on the other leads available for them.”
But, the Investigator denied that assertion saying, “This case was properly investigated.”
According to the witness who is the 16th Prosecution Witness in the matter, “at Bolga, we don’t have anything like Paul Afoko faction.”
He added that ” It was after the incident that happened between Paul Afoko and the deceased that they wanted to create a new group to support Paul Afoko.”
Asked to tell the court whose camp was the 2nd accused person, he said “The 2nd Accused person belong to the NPP youth group and the deceased was the Regional Chairman of NPP.”
Employment
Asked if he was aware that, the 2nd accused was in the employment of the deceased to the best of your knowledge, he said, “I’m not aware.”
Adding that, “all that I know is that, he sometimes goes home for financial assistance when the need arises.”
At this point, counsel put to the witness that, A2 has been in the employment of the deceased for close to 20 years and this has been confirmed by Tofiq a witness in open court.
But, the witness said he was not aware of that.
Cautioned statement
Counsel said A2 had indicated in his cautioned statement to the police that he doesn’t have any problem with the deceased to the extent of pouring acid on him and asked the witness why such a person will do such a thing.
But in his response, the Investigator said, “he said that in his statement and also stated that he has a problem with the deceased.”
“My Lord, although his statement he mentioned that, they should fear God and take him out of this place, but the financial assistance that was being offered him by the deceased had by then ceased because the deceased had information that he had attended meetings organised by Paul Afoko where he has been bribed,” the investigator told.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Murtala Inusah
