We were allowed into Emergency Ward where Adams Mahama was treated -Witness

Asigiriy Quinn, a witness in the trial of Gregory Afoko and Asabke Alangdi, has told an Accra High Court Criminal Division that a doctor who treated the late Adams Mahama, former Upper East regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), together the with nurses and paramedics, allowed he, the witness, the deceased wife, one Zuwera, one Tofic, and others into the Emergency Ward.
According to him, it was at this instance that the deceased repeated the names of the persons who he believed poured acid on him.
However, Andrews K. Vortia, defence counsel for the second accused, Asabke , during cross-examination, suggested to the witness that due to the critical nature in which the patient was in, there was no way a doctor would allow lay persons to come in with the medics.
Mr Vortia, at the court presided over by Justice Merley Wood yesterday, December 15, 2020, said that due to the seriousness of the situation, the deceased was wheeled to the Intensive Care Unit within 30 minutes on arrival at 12:02am
But the witness insisted that this particular doctor allowed them into the Emergency Ward, and the deceased, whom he claimed was soaked with water, was in a helpless situation, to a point that he gave his phone to him to place a call to Tofic on his behalf.
However, in his earlier evidence on December 14, 2020, he claimed the deceased could not open the password pattern on his phone, for which the doctor intervened by giving out his phone for the said call to be made.
Nonetheless, Mr Quinn said yesterday that he could not tell why the witness failed to open the pattern password and had to resort to using the doctor’s phone to place the call to Tofic.
The following are some excerpts of questions (Q) and answers (A)
Q. When you arrived at the scene of the incident in 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 mention any name to you as the culprit; any name to you of who poured the substance or acid on him. Did he?
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 the material moment, did the deceased and the wife mention any name or the person who poured the acid on the deceased?
A. No my lord.
Q. Was the deceased crying and wailing, and his skin peeling off?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there light off in the area at that material moment?
A. My lord, there were lights off and the deceased’s lights were on. And there was 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 inform you what allegedly happened to the deceased, or in other words, did Zuwera and Thomas inform 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 ones who poured the acid on the deceased! Am I 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 Quranic verses.
Q. I am putting it to you that deceased was very conscious going up and down, but did not mention any name.
A. Yes he did not mention 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 started recital of his quranic verses. 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 with the truth to the court at this juncture?
A. My lord, I am speaking the truth.
Q. You just told the court the deceased was crying and wailing, and within the moment of entering the car, you could not tell the court whether he was still in pain?
A. My lord, while we were going to the hospital the deceased started mentioning names and reciting his quranic 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 earlier on I stated to the court, I met the deceased and the wife, and whether the deceased has mentioned a name to the wife, I cannot tell.
Q. What language did the deceased recite the quranic verses?
A. My lord in Arabic language.
Q. Do you speak and understand the Arabic language?
A. No my lord?
Q. Then how will you know that the deceased was reciting quranic verses and mentioning names at the same time?
A. My lord, the man was using words like La hi la… Mahamudu Ashimila, which I know to be Arabic words, and the names followed; look at what they have done to me. He was saying it repeatedly while we were on our way going.
Q. I am putting it to you that in Quaran recitals 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 recital?
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 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 Quranic recitals?
A. After reciting the quranic verses he mentioned.
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 had poured 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) process, but was sent straight to the Emergency Ward.
A. My lord, I did not 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 I 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 a 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 doctors and the nurses.
Q. The deceased gave his phone to you to call his driver, Tofic, is that correct?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you call the driver with the deceased’s phone?
A. No my lord.
Q. You could not open 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 why the deceased gave me his phone to make the call.
Q. I’m putting it to you it the deceased was helpless; in agony like Jesus Christ of Bethlehem on the Cross, and could not even speak or even mention or singing of names?
A. My lord, Adams Mahama was very active as at that time and could mention names and phone numbers. So he wasn’t helpless.
Q. I am further putting it to the deceased was not helpless; the doctors could have treated him at the ordinary wards and not at the Emergency Ward?
A. My lord, I am not the medical officer, and 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 have a fracture on your leg or hand you will be sent 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.
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 did not give 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’s wife and Tofic, who appeared first at the hospital?
A. The deceased’s wife appeared first.
Q. How long did it take the deceased’s 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. ButTofic also came in five minutes after the arrival of the deceased?
A. No my lord. The deceased’s wife came first; before Tofic.
Q. When you were at the hospital, did the deceased request for certain necessities like water, T’roll?
A. No.
Q. Will you be surprised to note that Tofic came to this court and informed the people were bringing in items upon the request of the deceased any time he needed them?
A. I think after I had left the scene. When I was there nobody 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 say 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 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 drip?
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, and on the spur of the moment sat on his sick bed to narrate in a melodious voice the incident?
A. My lord, the deceased gave me his phone; I can’t tell whether the deceased could not open it or not. If the deceased were to be here he could have told 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’s 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 charge.
Q. So I’m suggesting to you in such situation no doctor will allow lay persons to come in with 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 arrival 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 Care 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 close to the patient at the emergency unit, because I was there only man who was there at that time.
Trial adjourned to January 18, 2021

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