Mahama ‘Killers’ Deny Charges

The 14 persons standing trial over the death of Major Maxwell Mahama at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region have vehemently denied killing the military officer.

One of the accused persons, William Baah, the assembly member of the area pleaded not guilty to abetment of murder while the 13 others variously denied the charges of conspiracy to commit murder.

The court, presided over by Mrs Justice Mariama Owusu, has adjourned the case to April 12, 2018 for a jury to be empaneled for the trial to start.

The Accra High Court had at its previous sitting advised five of the accused persons implicated in the murder of the soldier to secure lawyers.

They are Kofi Nyame aka Abortion, farmer, Joseph Appiah Kubi aka Kum Dede, driver, John Bosie aka Abodie, driver’s apprentice, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Animah, mason.

The advice follows the inability of the five to secure lawyers to defend them in the trial.

The 14 were part of some 22 suspects, including a woman earlier arrested and charged over the gruesome murder of the 5 Battalion of Infantry Soldier on May 29, 2017.

They were provisionally charged with conspiracy to murder and murder.

Then Capt. Maxwell Mahama of the 5 Battalion of Infantry was lynched while he was on his early morning jogging Monday, May 29, 2017.

The fallen officer, whom many have described as decent and gentle, died on Monday, May 29, after he was beaten, stoned and burnt by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.

Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama was posthumously promoted to the rank of Major on June 5, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to the prosecution, the State had lined up 53 exhibits to firm its case against the accused persons.

These include pellets, empty cartridges, pictures from the crime scene, two guns partly burnt shirt, a cell phone belonging to the deceased, cement blocks, stick, metal bar, stones, 7 rounds of ammunition, 2 single barrel guns among others.

Other accused persons are Bernard Asamoah aka Daddy, drivers’ apprentice; Akwasi Baah aka Baya, farmer; Kwame Tuffour aka Asowonan, driver and Michel Anim aka Nana Anim.

The others are: Bismarck Donkor aka Dada, farmer; Akwasi Asante, farmer; Charles Quainin aka Kwesi Boah,  Emmanuel Baidoo, vulcanizer.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher