Defence lawyers in the trial of the 20 persons over the murder of Major Maxwell Adams at Denkyira-Obuase in the Central Region, have denied allegations that William Baah, the assemblyman of the area, mobilized the accused persons for the mob action that led to the death of the soldier.

According to George Bernard Shaw, that aspect of the facts of the police before the court was a complete variable from the instructions from his clients.

He told the Accra Central District Court, presided over by Ebenezer Kweku Ansah yesterday, that at the appropriate time and forum, the defence would “disabuse the minds” of the jury who would try the case.

Suspects

The accused persons are William Baah aka Misky, teacher/assemblyman; Yaw Annor aka Agbahowa, Mason; Akwasi Baah aka Baya, farmer; Kwame Tuffour aka Asowonan, driver; Akwasi Asante, farmer; Joseph Appiah Kubi aka Kum Dede, driver; Kwadwo Animah, mason; Philip Badu, prisons assistant; Kofi Nyame aka Abortion, farmer and Michel Anim aka Nana Anim.

The rest are Bernard Asamoah aka Daddy, driver’s apprentice; Ebenezer Appiah aka Akwesi Adjei; Charles Quainin aka Kwesi Boah, vulcanizer; Anthony Amoah aka Kwaku Manu/Amis, okada operator; Bismark Donkor aka Dada, farmer; Kwame Agyei, farmer; Solomon Sackey, carpenter; John Bosie aka Abodie, driver’s mate; Vivian Sahene aka Mafia, unemployed and Kojo Fordjour.

According to the prosecutor, DSP George Amegah, the accused persons and 13 others currently at large, acted together with a common purpose to murder the soldier.

They are part of 32 suspected persons initially dragged before the court for allegedly playing various roles in the murder of the 5 Battalion of Infantry soldier on May 29, 2017.

Major 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 galamsey. He was lynched by a mob who took him for an armed robber.

They were provisionally charged for conspiracy to murder and murder.

Hearing

At the hearing yesterday, Shaw, while denying the assertion of the police, said they (police) ought to expedite investigations into the matter.

Quoting Article 14 (3) (4) of the 1992 Constitution, the lawyer stated that, that provision is there in order not for the accused persons to lose track of what happened.

Shaw noted that although the defence sympathizes with the family of the deceased, “at the same time the rule of law behooves on us to scrutinize the evidence of the prosecution” in relation to the matter.

The lawyer noted that some of the initial suspects had been discharged, indicative of the fact that not everyone arrested in connection with the case would be found guilty.

He served notice that now that the “hullabaloo surrounding the matter was waning,” the defence would go to a higher court to secure bail for his clients.

Wanted

Earlier, DSP Amegah had said the police were still looking for 13 more persons suspected to have played roles in the death of Major Mahama and urged the court to remand the accused persons into the Nsawam Prisons.

The prosecution said a duplicate docket of the case had been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice.

The police are currently on the heels of Yaw Amakwah, Kwabena Kenkeba, Tikwa, Yaw Boadu, Fuseni, Madam Deedikor, Eric Asante aka Yaw Agade, Nana Kwadjo aka Naa Ajo, Kweku Diesel, Kofi Ahenkora, Solo, Rasta and Wiser.

Sitting continues on September 7.