High Court in Accra has discharged Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi, the two men accused of killing former Upper East Regional NPP Chairman, Adams Mahama, bringing an end to a trial that has dragged on for nearly eleven years.
The ruling was delivered on Monday, December 1, 2025, by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, who said the case had stalled due to repeated adjournments caused by the prosecution.
According to the judge, the third trial, which began in 2024, suffered more than six adjournments, with the last few court sittings recording no appearance from the prosecution. She noted that only five out of seven jurors were present, and the State continued to spend money on their allowances despite no progress in the trial.
“In the circumstance, I will discharge the accused persons, and the accused persons are accordingly discharged,” Justice Simmons ruled. She also dissolved the jury and thanked them for their service.
Afoko and Asabke were facing their third trial for conspiracy to commit murder and murder. The first trial was aborted in 2019, while the second ended in a hung jury in April 2023, after a 4–3 split in favour of a not-guilty verdict.
The third trial took off in January 2024. Between April and November 2024, the prosecution called five of its 16 witnesses before the case stalled again, eventually leading to the judge’s decision to free both accused persons.
Adams Mahama died on May 20, 2015, after acid was poured on him at his home in Bolgatanga. Prosecutors said Afoko and Asabke ambushed him late at night and attacked him with a substance suspected to be acid. His wife, who tried to help him, also suffered burns.
Mahama died while being airlifted to Accra for treatment. A post-mortem report later confirmed he died from severe acid burns and shock to the lungs.
Afoko, who spent almost ten years on remand, was granted bail on February 21, 2025, after prosecutors did not oppose the application.
Gregory Afoko is the brother of former NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko. Before the attack, tensions were high within the party after Adams Mahama reportedly prevented Paul Afoko and then-General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong from holding a meeting in Bolgatanga.
With the case now closed at the High Court level, both Afoko and Asabke walk free after more than a decade of legal processes marked by delays, adjournments, and multiple trials.
