A jury has unanimously found 12 accused persons in the trial of the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama guilty.
The 12 accused persons were found guilty of counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and abetment of murder in an Accra High Court on Monday, January 29, 2024.
The 12 accused persons, including the Assembly Member of Denkyira Obuasi who was accused of rallying the community to attack Major Mahama when the incident occurred, have been handed life imprisonment by the jury.
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However, two other suspects were acquitted and discharged by the jury, which found them not guilty.
On May 29, 2017, Major Mahama was lynched in Denkyira-Obuasi, located in the Central Region, while on duty. The military officer became the victim of a mistaken identity, with the assailants erroneously believing he was a robber.
In the aftermath of the incident, more than 50 suspects were apprehended, and eventually, 14 individuals were screened for potential prosecution. Among the accused were William Baah, the then-Assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, as well as Bernard Asamoah, also known as Daddy, Kofi Nyame alias Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim, and Bismarck Donkor. The remaining suspects included John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga, and Kwadwo Anima.
In July 2022, the High Court rejected the submission of no case put forth by the lawyers representing the accused individuals in the Major Mahama Murder trial. The 14 defendants, including the former assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, William Baah, argued that the prosecution had not presented a compelling case against them, asserting that they had not been directly implicated in Major Mahama’s tragic killing.
However, Justice Mariama Owusu, a Supreme Court Justice serving as an additional High Court Judge, dismissed their argument. Her Ladyship determined that the prosecution had adequately demonstrated the charges of intentionally causing harm to and murdering Major Maxwell Mahama, necessitating a defense from the accused.
