Mahama ‘Killers’ Reject Jury

There was drama at the Accra High Court yesterday as the 14 persons accused of murdering Major, Maxwell Mahama rejected eight persons nominated to serve as jurors.

The accused persons had variously taken turns to reject the eight persons expected to constitute a seven-member Jury for the trial.

The court requires seven persons to be accepted by the accused persons with each having the option of raising an objection three times without stating reasons.

However, at the hearing yesterday, the court presided over by Justice Mariama was unable to empanel the jury.

The suspected killers through their lawyers kept rejecting the last person picked by the court to complete the jury to enable the trial commence.

As a result of the several rejections by the accused persons, the judge adjourned the case to Monday, 16th April, 2018 and ordered the Judicial Service to provide five people on Monday for one to be selected to complete the jury.

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.

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

He was beaten, stoned and burnt by residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.

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.

The accused persons are William Baah (aka Misty), the Assemblyman; 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), vulcanizer; Emmanuel Baidoo.

The rest 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.

By: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson