Major Mahama murder trial: Seventh accused gives evidence

The trial of the alleged murderers of the Major Maxwell Mahama resumed on Thursday at an Accra High Court with the prosecution producing its seventh witness, Mr Ebenezer Appiah.

The witness, who was led by Mrs Frances Mullen Ansah, Principal State Attorney to give evidence in chief spoke in Twi, which was translated by an interpreter.

Mr Appiah indicated that he saw some people pouring petrol on the body of late Major Mahama, getting ready to burn it.

Mr Appiah, tricycle rider, told the court presided by Justice Mariama Owusu, that some people prevented one Nana Adja from torching the body, and he later dropped the matches he was holding on the ground. 

The witness said on that day, someone hired his tricycle to convey goods to a customer at the outskirts of Denkyira-Obuasi.

Mr Appiah said he saw the late Major Mahama at Wayo-Nkwanta, a suburb of Denkyira-Obuasi, where he told him not to ride on the shoulders of the road, and he moved to the middle of the road.

 The witness said when he returned, he saw Akwasi Boah, Yaw Amankwah and Yaw Boadu, adding that Amankwah was exchanging gun shots with the late Major Mahama, which continued to the outskirts of the town.

Mr Appiah said he left the scene because he was scared, but when he reached home, he heard that some people have arrested an armed robber, and he rushed to catch a glimpse of the situation.

 He said “On my way, l saw motorbikes and vehicles parked along the roadside, and l saw some people with cement blocks, stones and sticks hitting the deceased, who was lying down”.

The witness said he saw Kofi Nyamea, also known as Abortion, hit the head of the late Major Mahama with cement block.

Mr Appiah told the court that he saw that fire was set to the pubic hair of the deceased, and when the Deiso Police and the Assembly member, William Baah, arrived at the scene, he (Baah) did not alight from the Police vehicle.

The witness said after the police took the body of Major Mahama away, he also rode his tricycle away from the scene.

He said when the people of Denkyira-Obuasi heard that the deceased was a Military Officer, and his colleagues were coming to invade the area, most residents went into hiding.

Mr Appiah indicated that he fled to Sefwi and whiles there, a policeman saw him and took him to the police station, because the police said he was a wanted man.

Mr Appiah said he gave his statement to the Police, and the following day, he was taken t to Deiso Police station, where he met other people, who were arrested in connection with the case,

He said they (suspects) were all transferred to Accra, and he was taken to the Dansoman Police station, and the others to the Korle-Bu Police station.

Mr Appiah told the court that after many court appearances and investigation, the court discharged him together with seven others.

During cross-examination led by Patrick Anim Addo, one of the counsels for the accused asked Mr Appiah whether he was hiding when the police arrested him, and he answered in the affirmative.

The witness was also asked, whether he had seen the video of the incident, which he answered in the negative.

Fourteen persons are standing trial at an Accra High Court over the killing of Major Mahama, who was an officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion, at Burma Camp.

The late Major was on duty at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region when on May 29, 2017 some residents allegedly mistook him for an armed robber and lynched him.

The mob had ignored his persistent plea that he was an officer of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The accused are William Baah, the Assemblyman of Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyame a.k.a Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim and Bismarck Donkor.

Others are John Bosie, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.

The Court presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, adjourned the matter to Tuesday, March 12.

– GNA