Twelve out of the fourteen individuals implicated in the trial related to the brutal murder of Major Maxwell Mahama have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The verdict, handed down after the accused were found guilty of charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and abetment of murder, concludes a lengthy legal process dating back to 2017.
The jury overseeing the case, which involves alleged murder, delivered their decision on the culpability of the fourteen defendants accused of conspiracy to commit murder and abetment of murder, according to citinewsroom.com. The presiding judge, Justice Mariama Owusu, is presently summarizing relevant laws related to the charges and the evidence presented during the trial to guide the jury in their deliberations.
The trial, which began in 2017, saw both the prosecution and defense presenting their arguments before the judge and jury. Patrick Anim Addo, representing the 13th and 14th accused, concluded his final address to the jury on Monday, January 29, 2024.
Major Maxwell Mahama tragically lost his life in a lynching incident at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017, while on duty, reportedly mistaken for a robber. Following the incident, more than fifty suspects were apprehended, with fourteen eventually selected for prosecution.
Among the defendants were William Baah, then-Assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah (also known as Daddy), Kofi Nyame (alias Abortion), Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim, and Bismarck Donkor. The remaining defendants include John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga, and Kwadwo Anima.
In July 2022, the High Court dismissed a motion for case dismissal put forward by the legal representatives of the 14 defendants. The accused, including the former assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, William Baah, argued that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to establish their involvement in Major Mahama’s tragic death. However, Justice Mariama Owusu disagreed, maintaining that the prosecution had adequately demonstrated the charges, leading to the continuation of legal proceedings.
