The late Major Maxwell Adams Mahama
An Accra High Court hearing the case involving 14 persons, who allegedly murdered the late Major Maxwell Adams Mahama at Denkyira Obuasi (now New Obuasi) in the Central Region, adjourned the matter to January 15, 2019 due to domestic challenges facing the next prosecution.
The state, led by Evelyn Keelson, a chief state attorney, was expected to call its fifth witness to testify.
But the court heard that the witness called to inform the prosecution that he would not be able to come to court as planned due to some domestic challenges.
The prosecution, therefore, prayed the court, presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, to adjourn the matter to allow them bring their witnesses to court.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to January 15, 2019 for the prosecution to call its next witness.
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Ex-Parte Motion
The court also directed lawyer for one of the accused persons, Kwame Tuffuor, to file a supplementary affidavit to his application seeking the medical records of his client.
The lawyer filed the application to pray the court to order the infirmary of the Nsawam Prison to release the medical records of his client who he said has been ill for some time now.
According to the application, the accused has not been well for a while and had received medical treatment at the prison’s infirmary.
The court, however, declined the application because it did not indicate the hospital and the medical officer who attended to the accused.
The presiding judge, Justice Mariama Owusu therefore directed Clement Amankwa Bruce who held brief for lawyer Augustine Obuor to file a supplementary affidavit to indicate the hospital and medical officer so that the order can be directed at the medical officer.
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Trial
The state has so far called four witnesses to testify in court.
First prosecution witness, WOII Kwesi Sabi, who was part of the Major Mahama-led military detachment that was deployed to protect the properties of C&G Mining Company at Diaso in the Central Region, told the court about his last moments with the deceased.
Despite his 25 years in the military, WOII Sabi, who was Major Mahama’s second in command, told the court that he was terrified and shocked to see the partly burnt body of the deceased.
He said he could not look at the body twice and had to step away.
The second witness, who is also the infamous snail seller who gave directions to the late Maxwell Mahama to Denkyira Obuasi before he was gruesomely murdered by a mob, has finally appeared in court to testify.
Esther Tawiah, aka Maame Krah, was among three women who were selling by the roadside on that faithful day when the soldier embarked on a 20-kilometre walk.
Tawiah blamed herself for the death of the late Major Mahama because she was the one who called William Baah, the assemblyman to mobilize people to lynch late Major Mahama.
The third witness, Kwame Adjei, told the court that the slain soldier exchanged gunshots with those who gruesomely murdered him.
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Background
Major Maxwell Mahama was killed by a mob at Denkyira Obuasi where he was on detachment duties.
The deceased army captain was on a 20-kilometre walk when he was reportedly mistaken for an armed robber by some women.
The women, who thought he was an armed robber after spotting his official pistol, called the assembly man in the area.
The assembly man allegedly mobilized people in the town to lynch the soldier and later burn parts of his body.
The 14 suspects, all males, are facing three counts of abetment to murder, conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder contrary to Section 46 of Act 29 (1960).
By Gibril Abdul Razak