Thirty-four suspects, including six women – one of them a nursing mother – who allegedly played various roles in the brutal killing of Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region, have been charged for murder at an Accra Central Magistrate Court.
This brings to 41 the number of suspects put before court in connection with the lynching of the former Army Captain, who was posthumously promoted to Major by President Akufo-Addo yesterday.
Seven people, including the assemblyman for Denkyira-Obuasi, had earlier been remanded by a district court in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital.
The males among the 34 suspects are George Brefo, Charles Bosie, Kofi Appiah, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Ebenezer Appiah, Philip Kofi Agyapong, Peter Agyapong, Komla Doku, Ernest Ally, Mawunyo Sowu, Kweku Nsiah, Dickson Agyeman, Patrick Boakye, Foster Sekpey, Freeman Sekpey and Charles Quainin.
The others are Isaiah Manu, Prince Amponsah, Kojo Asabre, Kofi Ebenezer, Evans Fosu, Prince Fosu, Ato Kwame, John Nyarko Michael Anim, Emmanuel Sowu and Ahmed Suri.
The women are Felicia Sarbah, Perpetual Owusu, Yaa Asor, Efia Manu, Vivian Asaahene and Anna Gyimah.
They were said to have participated in the lynching of the army officer when he went for his routine morning jogging on Monday, May 29, 2017.
Five suspects believed to be Ewes claimed they did not understand the English and the Twi languages.
They were given an Ewe interpreter to read the offence and the charge sheet to their understanding before the court, presided over by Ebenezer Kweku Ansah, continued with the proceedings.
The presiding magistrate therefore remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on June 21, 2017 after the prosecuting officer, DSP George Amegah, had prayed the court for more time to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the case.
According to him, more officers were on the ground gathering intelligence to aid in the prosecution.
Two provisional charges of conspiracy to commit murder and murder were preferred against them.
Seven others arrested, including William Baah, 36, the assemblyman; Bismark Donkor, 30 prison assistant; Philip Badu, 30; Yaw Annor, 32, mason; Kofi Badu, 29, farmer; Kofi Nyame, 29, farmer and Anthony Amoah, 23, motorbike (okada) rider, who were arrested earlier, have been remanded by a Cape Coast District Court to reappear on June 19, 2017.
Facts
Presenting the facts of the case, DSP Amegah said the deceased, Captain Maxwell Adam Mahama, was the commander of a military detachment stationed at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region to check the activities of galamseyers (illegal miners).
He said the detachment is based at the outskirt of Diaso.
On Monday, May 29, 2017, at about 8:00 am, the captain left the detachment base for a 20-kilometer jogging.
DSP Amegah indicated that at about 9:25 am, the commander got to the outskirts of Denkyira-Obuasi where a number of women were selling food items by the roadside.
Snails
Captain Mahama, the prosecutor said, stopped to interact with the women and even bought some snails which he left with the women so that he could pick them (snails) up on his return from the walk.
While he was taking the money from his pocket to pay for the snails, the women from whom he bought the snails and a few others saw his sidearm tucked on his waist and soon after he had left, one of the women telephoned the assemblyman of the area (William Baah) to report what she had seen.
Without verifying the information, William Baah, who is also in police custody, mobilized the town folks to attack a suspected armed robber who had been sighted by the traders selling on the outskirt of the town.
The prosecuting officer said the suspects met the army officer near the Denkyira-Obuase cemetery, and without giving him the opportunity to identify himself, attacked him with implements such as clubs, concrete blocks and machetes, killed him and burnt part of his body.
Angry Crowd In Court
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom were some traders who had besieged the area to catch a glimpse of the suspects. They chanted and called for the blood of the 34 suspects who had been arraigned before the court.
While some were weeping uncontrollably to show how sad they were concerning what they termed the ‘inhuman act’ meted out to the innocent army officer, others could not withhold their emotions but rain insults and curses on the suspects.
Some of the traders wished the police would give them the chance to whip the women allegedly involved for disgracing womanhood but the police escort had to quickly whisk the accused persons away to prevent any mayhem.
As the vehicle carrying the accused persons was moving, they (traders) were heard shouting on top of their voices saying, “God will punish you people and your entire generation for the crime you have committed. We pray that you suffer all your life; it shall never be well with you…..”
Some of the suspects were sent to the Dansoman, Nima, Ministries and other police stations to be kept in custody until the next sitting of the court.
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