Gregory Afoko is alive – Family

Gregory Afoko, the man accused of killing Alhaji Mahama, a former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Upper East Regional Chairman, is not dead, the family of the accused has said.

Reports were rife that Mr Afoko had passed on after suffering COVID-19 complications while in police custody.

However, in a statement issued on November 21, 2020, his family says those reports are “false”.

“The Royal Ayieta family of Sandema wishes to inform all, that the news trending about Gregory Afoko’s demise is false. Gregory is in some form of good health & has in the past week even tested negative for COVID-19.”

The family further added, “These developments make us suspect that someone is hatching a sinister plan to harm our son. We are forced to call on the Builsa community and all those who genuinely believe in human rights to collectively save a soul who has been facing gross injustice at the hands of the state and its actors”.

“The family will hold the authorities individually and collectively responsible if anything untoward happens to Greg,” the statement said.

About Afoko’s detention

The then Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP suffered severe bodily injuries after a substance suspected to be acid was poured on him in front of his house in Bolgatanga on May 20, 2015.

Mr Mahama later died from the injuries at the Bolgatanga General Hospital.

Afoko was initially the only one standing trial after Asabke Alangdi allegedly absconded from Ghana.

After more than three years, the Attorney-General (A-G) filed a nolle prosequi on January 28, 2019, to discontinue the trial following the arrest of Alangdi.

Mr Afoko challenged the nolle prosequi by filing a case at the Supreme Court.

However, on June 19, 2019, the apex court dismissed the case on the premise that Afoko failed to prove that the nolle prosequi was capricious, unfair and arbitrary.

He was in March 2019 granted bail to the tune of GHc500,000, but the state ignored the court’s ruling and continued to hold the suspect in custody.