Major Mahama pleaded for help - Witness

A prosecution witness in the trial of the 14 people alleged to have killed Major Maxwell Adam Mahama has told the Accra High Court that Major Mahama pleaded with him for help in order to escape a mob attack.

Kwame Adjei, who is the third prosecution witness in the trial, yesterday revealed that Major Mahama begged him to give him a ride on his motorbike, but he refused because he thought the soldier was an armed robber.

“Because he had a gun on him, I was afraid to give him a ride because I thought he would steal my motorbike,’’ he said.

Evidence-in-chief

Led by a Principal State Attorney, Ms Frances Hullen Ansah, the witness told the court that on May 29, 2017, he was at his workplace when he heard people shouting “thief’’ “thief”.

According to him, he decided to go to the scene and on his way he met Major Mahama at the Denkyira Obuasi cemetery.

Major Mahama, he said, asked him for a ride because some people wanted to kill him.

“As we were talking, I overheard a gunshot from behind. I turned and saw Yaw Amankwa and Akwasi Baah shooting from a distance. As they fired, Major Mahama also fired,’’ Adjei said.

He added that he went back to his workplace, but heard in the evening that the “thief” was not a thief, but rather a soldier.

“People started fleeing the village after the information broke out,’’ he told the court.

During cross-examination, one of the defence counsels, Mr Augustine Obour, told the witness that he could have prevented the death of the soldier if he had offered him the ride.

But the presiding judge, Mrs Justice Mariama Owusu, a justice of the Court of Appeal with additional responsibility as a High Court, prevented counsel from toeing that line.

Hearing continues on July 24, 2018.

Major Mahama’s death

Major Mahama was killed at Denkyira Obuasi on May 29, 2017.

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

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

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