34 Remanded over Major Mahama’s death
Thirty-four people alleged to be involved in the gruesome murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama were greeted with hooting and insults by a large crowd during their first appearance at the Accra Central District Court yesterday.
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Like a rehearsed choreography, the crowd chanted and hooted at the alleged murderers immediately they saw them being led out of the courtroom into police vehicles.
The hooting and chanting were followed by insults and curses which later turned into a demand for instant justice on the 34 people, including six women.
One of the women was a nursing mother, with a baby strapped at her back.
Some of them thinking that the assembly member of Denkyira-Obuasi, William Baah, was among the 34 people started shouting at the police to release him to them to visit instant justice on him
“Murderers! Wicked people! God will punish you! I hope you all rot in jail! You don’t deserve to live!’’ were some of the words directed at them.
While some in the crowd insulted and demanded the blood of the suspects, others could be seen crying and asking how such an unfortunate incident could have been orchestrated by a whole community.
The police had a torrid time controlling the crowd, as the people tried to direct their anger directly at the accused persons, with some people even chasing the police vans as they took off.
Remand
The 34 people include George Brefo, Charles Bosie, Kofi Appiah, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Ebenezer Appiah, Philip Kofi Agyapong, Peter Agyapong, Komla Doku, Ernest Ally, Francis Doku, Mawunyo Sowu, Kweku Nsia and Dickson Agyeman.
The others are Patrick Boakye, Foster Sekpey, Freeman Sekpey, Charles Quainin, Isiah Manu, Prince Amponsah, Kojo Asare, Kofi Ebenezer, Evans Fosu, Ato Kwame, John Nyarko, Felicia Sarbah and Perpetual Owusu.
The rest are Michael Anim, Emmanuel Sowu, Yaa Asor, Afia Manu, Viavian Asaahene, aka Mafia, Anna Gyiman and Ahmed Suri.
All of them have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
At yesterday’s hearing, the court, presided over by Mr Ebenezer Kweku Ansah, remanded them in police custody following a request by the prosecution that investigations were still ongoing.
Making the request for remand, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr George Amegah, said the police had gathered a lot of intelligence on the case and, therefore, there was the need for the accused to assist with investigations.
The court adjourned the case to June 21, 2017.
Facts
The facts, as presented by DSP Amegah, 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 galamsey activities.
At 8 a.m. on May 29, 2017, Major Mahama, wearing civilian clothes but with his sidearm, left his detachment base for a 20-kilometre jogging.
DSP Amegah said at 9:25 a.m., the military officer got to the outskirts of Denkyira Obuasi, where a number of women were selling foodstuffs by the roadside.
He stopped to interact with the women and even bought some snails, which he left with the women to keep for him to pick up on his return from the walk.
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 Major Mahama’s sidearm tucked to his waist.
Soon after he left the women, one of them telephoned the Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi to report what they had seen.
“Without verifying the information, the assembly member mobilised the 34 accused persons and others now at large to attack the military officer,’’ the prosecutor said.
The mob met Major Mahama near the Denkyira Obuasi cemetery and, without giving him the opportunity to explain and identify himself, “attacked him with implements such as clubs, cement blocks and machetes and killed him and burnt a portion of his body’’.