Pathologist in Major Mahama case testifies before court

He said his examination also revealed that Major Mahama died from multiple head injuries caused by blunt objects and gunshots.

He was testifying as a prosecution witness at the Accra High Court yesterday in the trial of the 14 people accused of killing the military officer.

He is the 13th and last but one witness to testify on behalf of the prosecution.

According to him, what he saw on Major Mahama’s body pointed to the fact that the military officer died from unnatural causes as a result of violence.

“There were lacerations on the left side of the lower limbs, depressed fracture of the skull, fracture of the jaw bone and fracture of the ribs.

“And there were burns to the head, both upper and lower limbs, abdomen and other parts of the body,” he said.

Background

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

He was said to have been lynched as he went on a morning walk that led him to Denkyira Obuasi.

Fourteen people, including William Baah, a former Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi, are standing trial in connection with the death of the military officer.

The rest are Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy; Kofi Nyarko aka Abortion; Akwasi Baah; Kwame Tuffour; Joseph Appiah Kubi; Michael Anim,

Bismarck Donkor, John Bosie; Akwasi Baah; Charles Kwaning; Emmanuel Badu; Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.

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

Gunshot wound

Led by the Prosecutor, Ms Evelyn Keelson, a Chief State Attorney, Dr Edusei, testified that during the autopsy, he retrieved a flat-shaped object looking like a pellet from the skin covering the head of the military officer.

According to him, he also saw gunshot wounds on other parts of the body such as the left side of his jaw and lower end of the right thigh and the chest.

“Apart from the gunshot injury to the skull and the left chest wall, the others did not contribute significantly to the cause of death,” he added.

Cross-examination

During cross-examination, one of the lawyers for the accused persons, Mr George Bernard Shaw, sought to question the manner in which Dr Edusei conducted the autopsy.

Counsel asked the witness if he (witness) remembered telling the district court prior to the committal proceedings that he (Dr Edusei) needed the input of the crime scene experts and ballistic expert who worked on Major Mahama’s case before he could complete the autopsy report.
Dr Edusei answered in the affirmative.

Counsel then asked if he had those inputs from the experts, to which the medical officer answered that he met with one investigator but not the expert.

Below are excerpts of the cross-examination.

Lawyer Shaw: From your experience, would you say it was best practice to conduct the autopsy without proper contribution from the crime scene experts and ballistic expert?

Dr Edusei: I worked with the CID Headquarters and they gave me adequate information on the crime scene. The work of the ballistic expert is totally different from my line and I don’t need his contribution.

The trial will continue on December 10, 2019 for other defence attorneys to cross-examine the witness.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh