Court discharges Gregory Afoko, Asabke over Adams Mahama murder case

The High Court in Accra has discharged Gregory Afoko and his co-accused, Asabke Alangdi, who were standing trial for the 2015 murder of former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama.

The decision follows nearly eleven years of stalled proceedings, multiple adjournments, and what the court described as prosecutorial inertia.

Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, who presided over the case, ruled on Monday, December 1, 2025, that the trial could not continue given the repeated delays by the prosecution and the prolonged absence of any meaningful progress. Both accused persons were facing a third trial after a hung jury in the second trial.

Prosecution stalled for a year

The third trial commenced in January 2024, with Afoko and Asabke pleading not guilty before a newly empanelled jury. The prosecution intended to call 16 witnesses but managed to present only five between April 12 and November 24, 2024.

Since then, the court noted, proceedings had been adjourned at least six times at the prosecution’s request. On the latest adjourned date—December 1, 2025—neither a prosecutor nor a full jury panel was present.

“In the circumstances,” Justice Simmons said, “I will discharge the accused persons, and the accused persons are accordingly discharged.”
The judge also dissolved the jury, expressing appreciation for their service.

Nearly a decade on remand

Afoko had spent close to ten years in custody before finally being granted bail on February 21, 2025, in the sum of GH₵500,000 with two sureties. The prosecution did not oppose the application after the defence demonstrated the ability to meet the bail conditions.

Afoko and Asabke had faced two previous trials—one aborted in 2019, and another that ended in a hung jury in April 2023, with jurors split 4–3 in favour of a not-guilty verdict.

Background of case

The incident dates back to May 2015 when Adams Mahama was attacked with acid at his Bolgatanga residence. According to the prosecution, the attack followed internal party tensions after Mahama reportedly disrupted a meeting involving then-NPP executives Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong.

The prosecution alleged that Gregory Afoko and Asabke formed a youth group to counter perceived opponents of the party’s then flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo. On May 20, 2015, the two were said to have ambushed Mahama at his home and poured acid on him through his vehicle window.

Mahama’s wife, Hajia Zenabu Adams, also suffered burns while assisting him. Before his death, Mahama reportedly mentioned Afoko and Asabke as his attackers.

A post-mortem report indicated he died of shock to the lungs and extensive acid burns while being airlifted to Accra for treatment.

What next?

With the discharge granted, the state may decide whether or not to refile charges. For now, however, both Afoko and Asabke are free men after one of Ghana’s most protracted criminal trials.