Process to discharge 6 alleged Major Mahama killers begins

Six out of the 22 people accused of killing Major Maxwell Mahama will spend more time behind bars after the Accra Central District Court refused to hear an application by state attorneys for their discharge.

They are Yaw Annor, Philip Badu, Kweku Adjei, Solomon Sackey, Anthony Amoah and the only female accused person, Vivian Asahene.

A Principal State Attorney, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, yesterday made an oral application, praying the court to discharge the six persons because there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute them.

She also informed the court that the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) Department had filed the bill of indictment of the case at the court and was ready to commence with the committal proceedings of the other 16 accused persons immediately the six were discharged.

But the court, presided over by Mr Worlanyo Kotoku, refused the application for the discharge on the basis that a copy of the bill of indictment was not on the case docket before him.

Also, the presiding magistrate said the accused persons had not been served with copies of the bill of indictment.

He, therefore, adjourned the case to December 19, 2017 for the A-G to fulfil all the requirements before moving ahead with the application to discharge the six individuals.

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Trial at High Court

With state attorneys taking over the case, it is expected that the trial of those alleged to have murdered the military officer at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region will start in earnest at the High Court.

That will take place when the six individuals are finally discharged and committal proceedings against the other 16 accused persons are completed at the district court.

The 16 people to face the committal proceedings include William Baah, the assembly member of Denkyira Obuasi, Akwasi Baah, Kwame Tuffour, Akwasi Asante, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Kwadwo Animah, Kofi Nyame and Michael Anim.

Others are Bernard Asamoah, Ebenezer Appiah, Charles Quainin, Bismark Donkor, Kwame Agyei, John Bosie, Bismark Abanga and Kojo Fordjour.

Facts

The facts, as 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 a.m. 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 upon 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 Major Mahama’s 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 mobilised 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”.