The suspects
One of the three persons dragged to court over the murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama has denied any involvement in the death of the soldier, which took place at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.
According to Richmond Bio, who claims to be a farmer, he was not at the scene of the murder on May 29, 2017.
Alibi
He insisted that he was not part of the mob that lynched and partly burnt the slain soldier’s body, stressing that he went for a funeral.
Bio is standing trial with two others – Kwame Tuffour and Evans Asare aka Body – both drivers.
Before the Accra Central District Court, presided over by Ebenezer Kweku Ansah yesterday, the three were charged for conspiracy to murder and murder.
Their pleas have therefore not been taken.
This adds to 44 the number of suspects charged for allegedly playing various roles in the murder of the 5 Battalion of Infantry soldier.
The accused persons, including six women, were on Monday remanded by the court after being provisionally charged for murder.
Hearing
At yesterday’s hearing, Detective Inspector Simon Apoirsornu, who was holding brief for DSP George Amegah, said the three accused persons should be remanded because investigations into the murder were still ongoing.
He stated that the prosecution would want to reconcile the new docket with the old one, a request the trial judge agreed to and remanded the accused persons until June 21.
On Bio’s alibi, the judge said he (Bio) should not be worried because the case was still under investigation.
Magistrate Ansah opined that if after investigations the accused was innocent as claimed, he would be discharged.
Major Mahama was the commander of a military detachment stationed at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region to check the activities of illegal miners (galamseyers).
The Story
On Monday, May 29, 2017, at about 8:00 am, the Major Mahama (then Captain) left the detachment base for a 20-kilometer jogging.
At about 9:25 am, he reportedly got to the outskirts of Denkyira-Obuasi where a number of women were selling food items by the roadside.
Major Mahama was said to have stopped to interact with the women and even bought some snails which he left with the women with the intention of picking them on his return from the jogging.
While he was taking the money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the woman from whom he bought the snails and a few others saw his sidearm tucked at his waist and soon after he had left, one of the women telephoned the assemblyman of the area, William Baah, to report what she had seen.
Without verifying the information, William Baah – who is also currently in police custody – allegedly mobilized the town folks to prepare to attack a suspected armed robber who had been sighted by the traders at the outskirt of the town.
The suspects reportedly met Major Maxwell Mahama near the Denkyira-Obuasi cemetery, and without giving him the opportunity to identify himself, attacked him with weapons such as clubs, concrete blocks, pieces of stick and machetes.
They killed him there and then and burnt part of his body.
Nursing Mother Nabbed At Drobo
Meanwhile, the police at Drobo in the Brong-Ahafo Region, have arrested a nursing mother at Gonasua, near Drobo, who is suspected to be one of the killers of Major Maxwell Mahama, Daniel Dayee reports from Sunyani.
The woman was sent to the regional police headquarters and later to Accra, the national capital.
Brong-Ahafo Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Nana Kwaku-Duah, confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE on phone but would not give details.
This brings to two, persons arrested in the Brong-Ahafo Region since Major Mahama was dastardly killed at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.
The first one was arrested at Techiman.
In all these arrests, the police have been tight-lipped on their identities.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com