Following the harrowing murder of Captain Maxwell Mahama in Denkyira Obuasi in 2017, a total of 14 individuals were apprehended and charged in connection with the heinous crime.
Among them were Bismark Donkor and Bismark Abanga, who, after enduring a lengthy legal battle, have been acquitted and discharged by an Accra High Court.
Donkor and Abanga, once accused of involvement in the tragic incident, have now shared their stories of wrongful arrest, unjust detention, and the subsequent exoneration that has brought relief but also stark realizations of the injustices they faced.
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Donkor recounted the traumatic moment of his arrest, describing how armed soldiers stormed into his home at midnight, subjecting him to brutal beatings despite his protests of innocence.
“They beat me up when they arrested me because I was in my bedroom, and when they knocked on the door, I didn’t open up. They kicked down the door, entered the room and met me in my boxers,” he revealed.
Abanga, an electrician by profession, shared a similar tale of injustice, detailing how he was visited at home by police CID officers months after the incident.
“I am an electrician, so when he came, I thought he had come for my service, but he said he had been asked to bring me to Accra for the murder of Captain Mahama,” Abanga recounted.
Both men maintained their innocence throughout the ordeal, emphasizing their lack of involvement in the tragic events that unfolded. Donkor spoke of the loss he suffered, having to sell off his cocoa farm to fund his defense, while Abanga lamented the destruction of his repair shop and cocoa farm, resulting in the loss of his livelihood.
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Their exoneration comes after a seven-year legal battle, during which they endured the hardships of wrongful accusations and unjust detention. Despite the challenges they faced, Donkor and Abanga have expressed gratitude for finally being vindicated by the court.
The other 12 suspects, who were pronounced guilty by a jury, have since been handed life sentences.
Watch Abanga and Donkor share their stories in an interview below:
