The late Major Maxwell Mahama
An Accra High Court hearing the matter of the lynching of Major Mahama has urged the defence lawyers in the matter to endeavour to come to court at the next adjourned date.
According to the presiding judge, Justice Mariama Owusu, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, the month of October had already been wasted as no new witnesses were called during the month.
The prosecution led by Evelyn Keelson, a chief state attorney, was expected to bring their fourth witness to testify in the matter.
But when the matter was called, she informed the court that they were unable to present their fourth witness due to an emergency.
She said the witness had promised to come to court but he called at the last minute saying he had an emergency hence would not be able to make it to the court.
She therefore prayed the court to give them a date to present their next witness in the matter.
Only two lawyers, George Bernard Shaw and Patrick Anim-Addo were present while none of the jurors were in court.
The presiding judge subsequently adjourned the matter to November 14, 2015 for continuation, urging the defence lawyers to endeavour to be in court at the next sitting.
The case took a long adjournment due to the two-month legal vacation for justices of the superior court.
At the last adjourned date – July 24, 2018, the third prosecution, Kwame Adjei who had ended his evidence and was cross-examined by the defence lawyers was discharged by the court.
The prosecution has so far called three witnesses who have told the court their personal knowledge on issues leading to the gruesome murder of Major Mahama.
First prosecution witness, WO II Kwesi Sabi, who was part of the Major Mahama-led military detachment that was sent to protect properties of C&G Mining Company at Diaso in the Central Region, narrated his last moments with the fallen soldier.
Despite his 25 years practice as a military officer, WO II Sabi who was Major Mahama’s second in command told the court how terrified and shocked he was when he saw the partly burnt body of the deceased.
He said it was so horrific that he could not look at it twice and had to step away from the corpse.
The second witness was the infamous snail seller from whom the late Maxwell Mahama asked directions to Denkyira Obuasi before he was gruesomely murdered by a mob has finally appeared in court to testify in the trial.
Esther Tawiah aka Maame Krah, was among three women who were selling by the roadside on that fateful day when the fallen soldier decided to embark on a 20-kilometre walk which eventually led to his lynching after he was mistaken for an armed robber.
She blamed herself for the death of Major Mahama as it was after her call to William Baah, the assemblyman, that the soldier was allegedly lynched by the 14 suspects who are currently before the court charged with murder and abetment to murder.
The third witness, Kwame Adjei told the court that the slain soldier exchanged gunshots with those who gruesomely murdered him.
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 from whom he stopped to buy snails.
The women who thought he was an armed robber after spotting his official pistol called the assembly man in the area to raise an alarm.
The assembly man allegedly quickly organised people in the town to lynch the soldier and later burnt parts of his body.
14 suspects are currently before an Accra High court for allegedly murdering the late Major Mahama.
The suspects, all male, 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