The Jury in the Major Mahama case has returned a unanimous guilty verdict on 12 out of the 14 persons standing trial for the death of Major Mahama.
The 12 have been found guilty of counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and abetment of murder.
They have been sentenced to life imprisonment each for the counts they were found guilty of.
The 12 includes the Assembly Member of the area who was accused of rallying the community to attack Major Mahama when the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, two of the accused persons have been acquitted and discharged after the jury found them not guilty of the charges against them.
The jury has been discharged, and the convicts are awaiting sentencing by Justice Mariama Owusu.
Attorney General, Godfred Dame in an interview with Citi News‘ Hanson Agyemang expressed hope that the verdict will act as a deterrence to people who practice mob justice.
“It’s been a long battle, started way back in December 2017. Persons accused were committed to some trial at the High Court, that was in April 2018. It’s been about 5 years or more, the whole justice we all know grinds slowly. But today we have seen justice. Two have been acquitted and 12 sentenced. I don’t think the public will contest the acquittal of those two persons. We are satisfied with the conviction. And we can only express our sympathies with the family of the late Major Mahama. They have suffered a lot, they have gone through a lot, but at least they have seen justice and I’m sure they should be happy about it.”
Background
Major Mahama was lynched at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017, while on duty.
It was later narrated that the military officer had been mistaken for a robber.
Following the incident, over 50 suspects were rounded up, out of which 14 were eventually screened for prosecution.
They are William Baah, then-Assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyame a.k.a. Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim and Bismarck Donkor. The rest are: John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.
The High Court, in July 2022, overruled a submission of no case made by lawyers of the 14 accused persons in the Major Mahama Murder trial.
The 14, including then assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, William Baah argued that the prosecution had not made a compelling case enough against them.
Their lawyers thus argued that they had not been implicated in the tragic killing of Major Mahama and should be freed of the charge.
Justice Mariama Owusu, a Justice of the Supreme Court sitting as an additional High Court Judge, however, rejected their argument.
Her Ladyship held that the charges of intentionally causing harm to, and murder of, Major Maxwell Mahama had been sufficiently demonstrated by the prosecution and needed to be defended.
She consequently overruled the submission of no case, and called upon the accused persons to open their defence.