Twelve (12) out of 14 persons standing trial for the murder of Major Maxwell Mahama have been Sentenced to life Imprisonment after they were found guilty for the murder of the young soldier.
Two others have also been acquitted and discharged after they were found not guilty for conspiracy.
This follows the return of a unanimous verdict of guilty by a seven member jury on the charge of Abetment for the first accused (William Baah).
The eleven are Bernard Asamoah (2nd Accused ), Kofi Nyame alias abortion( 3rd acccused), Akwasi Boah (4th Accused), kwame Tuffour (5th accused), Joseph Appiah Kubi (6th accused), Michael Anim (7th accused), John Bosie (9th accused), Akwasi Asante (10 accused), Charles Kwaning (11th accused) , Emmanuel Badu (12th accused) and Kwadwo Anima ( 14th accused) were variously found guilty for conspiracy and murder.
Meanwhile, Bismark Donkor (8th accused) and Bismark Abanga (13th accused) who were both facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder have been acquitted and discharged.
Major Maxwell Mahama met his untimely death at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017 after some residents mistook him for an armed robber.
Before the commencement of the trial 53 persons where arrested. Upon further investigations fourteen (14) were arraigned before court.
The Prosecution called 14 witnesses some of whom were part of the 53 arrested.
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 of the Central Region to check illegal mining activities.
At 8am 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 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”.
Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media
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