Major Mahama case: Jury not properly constituted, case adjourned to May 8

Continuation of the case in which some 14 persons are standing trial for the murder of late military officer, Major Maxwell Mahama, has been adjourned to May 8 because the jury was not properly constituted.

The 12th Accused person was expected to open his defence before the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, a Justice of

Read full articlethe Supreme Court, sitting as an additional High Court judge.

When case was called, the foreman of the seven member jurors informed the court about the absence of one of their members who is said to have traveled up North and was on the way back to Accra.

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that, the court adjourned the case to May 8 after taking into consideration the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration and the May Day statutory holidays.

All the accused persons were present and they are William Baah, are standing trial in connection with the death of the military officer.

Others are Bernard Asamoah, aka Daddy; Kofi Nyarko, aka Abortion; Akwasi Baah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi and Michael Anim.

The rest are Bismark Donkor, John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismark Abanga and Kwadwo Anim.

The young Military officer Major Mahama was killed at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017.

He was said to have been lynched during a morning walk that led him to Denkyira Obuasi.

A video recording of how he was supposedly lynched went viral on various social media platforms, sending shock waves among the public.

They have all pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from murder, abetment to murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Brief facts

The facts, presented by the prosecution, were that Major Mahama was the commander of a military detachment stationed at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District in the Central Region to check illegal mining activities.

At 8 am on May 29, 2017, Major Mahama, wearing civilian clothes but with his sidearm, left his detachment base for a 20-kilometre jogging.

At 9:25 a.m., the military officer got to the outskirts of Denkyira Obuasi, where a number of women were selling foodstuffs by the roadside.

He stopped to interact with the women and even bought some snails, which he left in their custody to be taken up on his return from jogging.

While he was taking out money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the woman from whom he had bought the snails and a few others saw his sidearm tucked to his waist.

Soon after he left, one of the women telephoned the assembly member for Denkyira Obuasi to report what they had seen.

“Without verifying the information, the assembly member mobilized the accused persons and others, some now at large, to attack the military officer,” the prosecution stated.

It added that the mob met Major Mahama near the Denkyira Obuasi cemetery and, without giving him the opportunity to explain and identify himself, “attacked him with implements such as clubs, cement blocks and machetes, killed him and burnt a portion of his body.”