Following Asigiri Quinn witness before an Accra High Court presiding over by Justice Merley Wood, trying Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi for the murder of Adams Mahama, late Upper East Regional chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP).   

The following are some excerpts of questions (Q) asked by Andrews K. Vortia ESQ, defence counsel for Asbke Alangdi today and answers (A) retrieved from witness Quinn: 

Q. When you arrived at the scene of the incident in a boxer shorts, how long did you stay at the scene?

A. My lord, I did not stay there long.

Q. At what critical moment the deceased did not mentioned any name to you as the culprits who pour substance or acid on him?

A. No. When we were on our way to the hospital, the deceased started talking and telling us what happened. 

Q. You left the scene to go and dress properly in your house and returned to the scene afterwards, is that correct?

A. Yes my lord

Q. Now, when you returned to the scene at that material moment, did the deceased and the wife mentioned any name or the person who pour the acid on the deceased?

A. No my lord.

Q. Was the deceased crying and wailing and his skin peeling off?

A. Yes, my lord.

Q. Was there light off in the area at that material moment?

A. My lord, there was a light off and the deceased lights were on. And there was a moonlight.

Q. Now, upon your arrival at the scene you saw Zuwera and Thomas? 

A. I came out first and met the deceased and his wife, so I went back to change and came back again to meet Thomas and Zuwera.

Q. Did Zuwera and Thomas informed you what allegedly happened to the deceased or in other words did Zuwera and Thomas informed you the names of those who poured acid on the deceased? 

A. No. Because I came out and Thomas went back to his house. 

Q. So Mr Quinn, the wife of the deceased, your good self, Zuwera and Thomas did not know the one who poured acid on the deceased, I’m absolutely correct?

A. Yes my lord, by then the deceased was crying, moving up and down, until we got to the car and when we were now on our way to the hospital the deceased started mentioning names and reciting Quaranic versions.

Q. I am putting it to you that the deceased was very conscious going up and down but did not mentioned any name?

A. Yes, he did not mentioned any name as at that time.

Q. On your way in your car, where was the deceased sitting in the car?

A. My lord, the deceased was sitting at the right side at the back seat of my car.

Q. What about zuwera, where was she sitting in the car?

A. Zuwera was seated at the front seat of my car.

Q. Was the deceased still in pains when you were on your way to the hospital? 

A. My lord, the deceased start recital of his quaranic versions, I will not know whether he was in pain or not.

Q. Mr Quinn, I am putting it to you that you are being economical about the truth to the court at this juncture? 

A. My lord, I am speaking the truth.

Q. You just told the court that the deceased was crying and wailing, and within the monument of entering the car, you could not tell the court whether he is still in pain?

A. My lord, while we were going to the hospital the deceased started mentioning names and reciting his quaranic versions. 

Q. So you want this court to believe that the deceased did not mention names to his beloved wife for several years and mentioned names to you and Zuwera?

A. My lord, as I earlier stated to the court, I met the deceased and the wife, and whether the deceased has mentioned names to the wife, I cannot tell.

Q. What language did the deceased recited the quaranic verses?

A. My lord, in Arabic language. 

Q. Do you speak and understand Arabic language? 

A. No. my lord?

Q. Then how will you know that the deceased was reciting quaranic verses and mentioning names at the same time?

A. My lord, the man was using words like “La hi la hi la la Mahamudu ashimila”, which I know to be Arabic words and the names followed, look at what they have done to me. Saying it repeatedly while we were on our way going.

Q. I am putting it to you that in Quaran recital, they only praise Allah and never mention names in recital, with names like omnipotent, Omniscience, Omnipresent, all knowing and the like and never inferior names in the recitals?

A. My lord, I am only quoting what the deceased said.

Q. Thomas Addo Zutah, is it the same person as Thomas you mentioned in your evidence? 

A. Yes my lord.

Q. Both of you work at SSNIT Bolga, is that correct?

A. Yes my lord.

Q. Is he one of your associates both at home and at work?

A. No, my lord.

Q. Are you aware he gave a statement to the police as part of their on the spot investigations?

A. No my lord.

Q. I am putting it to you, that on 22 of May 2015, Thomas Addo Zutah gave a statement to the police?

A. My lord, I am not aware.

Q. In your evidence, you told the court the deceased told you what they did to him?

A. My lord he told us, I wasn’t alone.

Q. Was this information between the quaranic recitals?

A. After reciting the quaranic versions he mentioned the names.

Q. So I am putting it to you when juxtaposed this answer to your earlier assertion that the deceased was reciting and mentioning names at the same time, could not be true?

A. My lord, names were mentioned to me and those who were in the car.

Q. What did the deceased say they did to him?

A. My lord, everybody who was there saw the substance on his body. He said they poured acid on him.

Q. I believe the deceased also told you, the acid was poured out of a gallon?

A. No, he said they have pours acid on him. 

Q. At the emergency ward how many other patients were receiving treatment when you got there?

A. When I got there he was the only one.

Q. What about the doctors, nurse and other paramedics, how many were they?

A. My lord, I knew of only one doctor and other nurses.

Q. You reckon that when you go to the hospital the deceased did not follow the normal Out Patient Department (OPD) procedure but was sent straight to the emergency ward?  

A. My lord, I did follow the deceased immediately to the emergency ward, the deceased was removed from my car and wheeled to the emergency ward while I was looking for a proper place for parking. And, later went to the emergency ward and met the deceased. So I can’t tell whether the necessary procedures were followed or not. 

Q. I am putting it to you the deceased was wheeled straight to the emergency ward in the situation the doctors and nurses found out to be life and death affair? 

A.  My lord, I later on joined them at the emergency ward and I cannot tell whether he was sent there straight or not.

Q. When you got to the emergency ward who and who were there before you?

A. My lord, the deceased, Zuwera, the doctor and the nurses.

Q. The deceased gave his phone to you to call his driver Tofic, is that correct? 

A. Yes, my lord.

Q. Did you call the driver with the deceased phone?

A. No my lord. 

Q. You could not opened it because of the pattern password on it? 

A. Yes my lord.

Q. Does that mean the deceased could not open a simple pattern password on his own phone?

A. I can’t tell, I don’t know what the deceased gave me his phone to make the call. 

Q. I’m putting it to you, the deceased was helpless and in agony like Jesus Christ of Bethlehem on the Cross and could not even speak or to even mention or singing of names? 

A. My lord, Adams Mahama was very active as at that time and could mentioned names and phone numbers. So he wasn’t helpless. 

Q. I am further putting it to the deceased was not helpless the doctor could have treated him at the ordinary wards and not at the emergency ward? 

A. My lord, I am not a medical officer but I believe if you get a fracture, you will be sent to the emergency ward so I can’t tell. But I believe that if you get a fracture on your leg or hand you will be send to the emergency ward before.

Q. You just told the court when you got there you met the doctor and a number of nurses and Zuwera at the emergency ward, do you still stand by this evidence?

A. Yes, my lord.

Q. So I believe the doctors and nurses also heard the deceased singing names of those who poured the acid on him, is that correct?

A. Yes my lord.

Q. I am putting it to you none of the doctor and the number of nurses on duty that day gave a single statement to confirm your assertion?  

A. My lord, the man mentioned names at the emergency ward, whether the doctor and nurses heard it or not I heard it.

Q. Between the deceased wife and Tofic who appeared first at the hospital?

A. The deceased wife appeared first 

Q. How long did it take the deceased wife to appear?

A. I cannot give a specific time. What I know is she came before Tofic. Looking at the situation at the emergency ward, one could not have had the time to check the time one has come.

Q. But Tofic also came in five minutes after the arrival of the deceased wife?

 A. No my lord, the deceased wife came first before Tofic.

Q. I think you were at the hospital, did the deceased requested for certain necessities, like water, T’roll etc?

A. No my lord.

Q. Will you be surprised to note, that Tofic came to this court and informed the court that people were bringing in items upon the request of the deceased anytime he needed them?

A. I think after I had left the scene. When I was there no body brought anything.

Q. What time did you leave the hospital?

A. My lord, I did not know the time that I left. I did not have my wristwatch or phone to check the time.

Q. Mr Quinn just 24 hours ago you said you left the hospital at 1: 00am and today you didn’t check your time, are you being truthful to this honourable court? 

A. My lord, I said I got to my house at 1:00am and not the time I left the hospital.

Q. When Tofic arrived majestically, the deceased woke up and sat on the bed. Is that correct?

A. Yes my lord.

Q. And he started to narrate from the construction site to the incident, is that also correct?

A. Yes my lord. 

Q. Was he on drop?

A. No my lord, they poured the drip on the deceased 

Q. You are telling this honourable court the deceased could not unlock his own phone in the spur of the moment sat on his sick bed to narrate in melodious voice until the incident?

A. My lord, the deceased gave me his phone, I can’t tell whether the deceased could not opened or not if the deceased were to be here he could have tell us why he gave the phone to me. 

Q. Where were the doctor and nurses when this narration was going on?

A. My lord, they were all at the emergency word.

Q. So tell the court who was totally in charge of attending to the deceased, was it the doctor and nurses at one side or the deceased wife, Zuwera,  Tofic and your good self at one hand in an emergency situation like this?

A. My lord it was the doctor and the nurses who were in charged.

Q. So I’m suggesting to you in such situation no doctor will allow lay persons to come in the medics? 

A. My lord, this doctor allowed us to be there

Q. The deceased was wheeled to the intensive care unit within 30 minutes on arrive at 12:02am, is that correct Mr Quinn? 

A. No my lord, I did not follow the deceased to the emergency ward, I was looking for appropriate parking after which I met them at the emergency ward and not intensive unit. 

Q. Was the deceased sent to the Intensive care unit?

A. No my lord, as at the time I was there, the patient was at the emergency ward.  

Q. I am further putting it to you, you were nowhere near the deceased to recall all that transpired both at the emergency unit and intensive care unit? 

A. I was very closed to the patient at the emergency unit because I was there only man who was there at that time.

Case adjourned to January 18, 2021