The prolonged legal saga of Gregory Afoko, accused of the 2015 murder of New Patriotic Party (NPP) regional chairman Adams Mahama, has reignited fierce debate over Ghana’s justice system and political accountability.
After nearly a decade in legal limbo, an Accra High Court finally granted Afoko bail last week under stringent conditions—a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from Professor Ransford Gyampo, CEO of Ghana’s Shippers Authority, who labeled the case a symbol of the “inhumanity” of ex-President Akufo-Addo’s administration.
“How could a government subject a citizen to nine years of trial without resolution? This isn’t justice; it’s persecution,” Gyampo declared on TV3’s Key Points, framing Afoko’s ordeal as emblematic of systemic failures and political vendettas. His remarks underscore growing public unease over a trial marred by delays, retrials, and allegations of partisan interference.
The case traces back to May 2015, when Mahama died from horrific acid burns after an ambush outside his home. Prosecutors alleged Afoko and accomplice Asabke Alangdi targeted Mahama for opposing Akufo-Addo’s NPP leadership bid—a claim defense lawyers dismissed as politically motivated. While Alangdi was convicted and sentenced to death in 2024, a jury cleared Afoko of murder charges, prompting a retrial set for March 2025. Critics argue the state’s insistence on retrying Afoko, despite the acquittal, reflects a punitive obsession rather than a pursuit of justice.
For Afoko, the toll has been crushing. Arrested in 2015, he spent years in custody before his first bail application succeeded—only after his legal team presented high-profile sureties, including his brother, former NPP Chairman Paul Afoko. The court’s demand for a GHC500,000 bail bond (later reduced) and biweekly check-ins with police further highlight the extraordinary burdens placed on a man yet to be conclusively convicted.
The case’s political undertones have deepened suspicions of weaponized justice. Mahama’s murder occurred amid bitter NPP infighting, with factions loyal to Akufo-Addo clashing with rivals like Paul Afoko, Gregory’s brother, who opposed his leadership. Prosecutors alleged Gregory mobilized youth to “protect” Akufo-Addo’s allies, but defense lawyers countered that the trial became a proxy war for internal party strife.
Gyampo’s condemnation taps into broader frustrations over Ghana’s justice system, where delays, under-resourced courts, and perceived political meddling erode public trust. Legal analysts note that Afoko’s retrial—scheduled for 2025, a decade after the crime—risks violating his right to a timely hearing, a cornerstone of judicial fairness. “This isn’t just about one man,” argues human rights lawyer Clara Sowah. “When the state can keep someone in legal purgatory for years, it sends a chilling message about who holds power and who gets crushed by it.”
The Akufo-Addo administration, which prioritized judicial reforms, faces lingering questions over its handling of high-profile cases. While supporters argue the courts operated independently, detractors see Afoko’s treatment as part of a pattern of using legal machinery to sideline dissent.
As Afoko awaits yet another trial, his case has become a litmus test for Ghana’s commitment to impartial justice. For Gyampo and other critics, the real verdict lies not in courtrooms but in whether the nation can transcend cycles of retribution and ensure that no citizen—regardless of political ties—is left to rot in the gears of a broken system.
