Murder suspect Gregory Afoko seems to have incurred the wrath of the powers that be with his successful bail application as he has been subjected to what can best be described as torturous treatment since his family met his bail conditions and demanded for his release.
In a petition to International human rights organization, Amnesty International, the Ayieta family said the suspect who is facing a second round of trial has suffered inhuman treatment since being transferred from prison into BNI custody.
Gregory Afoko was granted bail by an Accra High Court in February after the Attorney General re-started his trial over the murder of former Upper East Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Adams Mahama.
The suspect however remains behind bars 4 years after his arrest even though his family has met the bail conditions with the police refusing to release him to the court with the excuse that they are awaiting “orders from above”.
The Ayieta family in the petition signed by its Spokesperson Robert Atong Asekabta says Gregory Afoko spent two months in BNI custody in his “boxer shorts” after he was taken out of prison custody.
Over the two months in question, the family said they were denied access to him including being refused the request to give him clothes to use while in custody.
“Gregory until last week (after over two months in BNI cells) was denied visitation by either his attorneys or family. Even to present him with clothes other than the boxers he was taken with was denied until recently”, the family alleged.
The family also raised red flags over the manner in which the suspect was transferred from prison custody to BNI cells after the Attorney General filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue his over three year old trial on the justification that they had arrested an alleged accomplice to the murder.
The Ayieta family alleged that the suspect was taken out of prison custody without following due procedure and on the blind side of the Judge handling the matter and his lawyers.
“Without direct knowledge of the Judge, without following the procedures for releasing detainees, the police went to Nsawam prisons and forcibly removed Gregory from the custody of the prison (who incidentally also didn’t have the proper documentation to release Gregory but were ordered to do so verbally) in his boxer shorts at night and sent to the cells of the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI),” they stated.
They further allege Gregory Afoko was arraigned before court and charged with the same crimes he had been tried for without notice to his lawyers.
The AG filed the nolle prosequi after the trial had been completed and the Judge was about to order the jury to deliberate on the charges.
Story by: Sena Nombo/Radiogoldlive.com
