No show for Major Mahama's murder trial due to improperly constituted jury panel

There was no show at Monday's hearing of the case in which some 14 persons are standing trial for allegedly lynching young soldier, Major Maxwell Mahama at Denkyira Obuasi leading to his death on May 29, 2017.

This was because the seven-member jury panel was not properly constituted when the case was called with one of them officially informing the court through a letter.

Justice Mariama Owusu, a Justice of the Supreme Court, sitting as an additional High Court judge, adjourned the case to May 29, which would be exactly six years when the young soldier was killed.

In court Monday, May 22, 2023, Emmanuel Baidoo, the 12th Accused person was expected to face further Cross- examination but had to be adjourned.

On May 8, he had denied throwing a stone at the young soldier although he was at the scene with the Assemblyman, William Baah.

All 14 accused persons were present and they are William Baah,(Assemblyman), Bernard Asamoah, aka Daddy; Kofi Nyarko, aka Abortion; Akwasi Baah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi and Michael Anim.

The rest are Bismark Donkor, John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismark Abanga and Kwadwo Anim.

The young Military officer Major Mahama was killed at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017.

He was said to have been lynched during a morning walk that led him to Denkyira Obuasi.

A video recording of how he was supposedly lynched went viral on various social media platforms, sending shock waves to the public.

They have all pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from murder, abetment to murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Brief factsn

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 in the Central Region to check illegal mining activities.

At 8 am on May 29, 2017, Major Mahama, wearing civilian clothes but with his sidearm, left his detachment base for a 20-kilometre jog.

At 9:25 a.m., the military officer got to the outskirts of Denkyira Obuasi, where several 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 mobilized 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 allowing him 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”.