GSA Exposes Afoko in Court

A Forensic Toxicologist and Chemist for the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has disclosed that the substance handed to the Authority by the police in respect of the case of Gregory Afoko was acid.

According to Peter Quartey Papafio, the substance confirmed to be sulphuric acid with 16.89 molar with 90-95 percent purity.

In his view, the said substance is very corrosive and can cause severe injury when it comes into contact with the skin adding that it is a very strong acid.

He indicated that due to the corrosive nature of sulphuric acid it can cause death upon contact.

Quartey Papafio who took his turn as the tenth witness in the hearing yesterday stated that residues of the substance were also found on all the exhibits handed to the GSA by the Police including carpet of vehicle; a pair of shoes belonging to the late Adams and his dress; burnt foam material of a car seat; burnt pieces of material soaked with liquid substance; a transparent zip lock bag found in the car and track suit belonging to Afoko.

The GSA staff with 12 years working experience told the court presided over by Justice L. L. Mensah that the items as delivered by the police came with specific terms of refence.

He explained that when the police brought the sample they wanted to identify the substance in the gallon and as well identify the substance in all the rest of the exhibits and see if they can cause injury or harmful when it come in contact with a person.

But lawyers of 52-year-old Gregory disagreed insisting that there were no such terms of refence attached to the exhibits as submitted by the police.

Osarfo Boabeng, representing the accused argued indicating that the contents having traces of acid was not one of the terms of reference given to the GSA by the police.

The lawyer also doubted findings by the Forensic Toxicologist that there were traces of sulphuric acid in the track suit of Gregory.

Boabeng contended that the burns in the track suit were caused as a result of contact with the hot exhaust of the motor bike of the accused.

To that Quartey Papafio opined that it is highly improbable to cause those burns but as to whether they are burns from the motor cycle I would not know.

Gregory is in the dock over the alleged murder of Adams Mahama, the Upper East Regional Chairman of the NPP.

The prosecution intends to call 13 witnesses in the trial.

Gregory has been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder of Adams Mahama in May 2015.

Meanwhile he has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Adams Mahama died of extensive acid burns and shock lungs (acute respiratory distress syndrome), an autopsy report has indicated.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson