By Beatrice Oppon
One of the accused persons being tried for the alleged murder of Major Maxwell Mahama has denied involvement in his lynching by some residents of Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region in May 2017. The accused Charles Kwaning also known as Akwasi Buah said he tried to stop the mob from assaulting the late soldier but was unsuccessful.
Giving his evidence-in-chief, the accused Akwasi Boah narrated that on May 29 2017 when Major Mahama was killed, he joined the then Assemblyman for the area who is also an accused person William Baah in search of a suspected thief who had entered the Community.
He said they found the late Major Mahama and wanted to get close to him to interrogate him, but he raised his shirt and he saw a gun on him. The accused person said the deceased then pulled the gun and pointed at the former Assemblyman which made him flee the scene. He said the former Assemblyman also sped off with one Komoko on a motorbike.
After a while, he said he heard an exchange of gunshots between the late Major Mahama and one Amankwa who also shouted thief, thief. He said because of the exchange of gunshots, oncoming vehicles had to make a u-turn. The accused said later he heard the traders say that the alleged thief had shot someone so he left his shop to verify.
Continuing he said he met a crowd amidst shouting thieves and rushed to where they were assaulting the late soldier. He said he also saw the said Amankwa pointing a gun at the deceased so he shouted at him to stop, collected the gun from him and folded the butt.
He said he tried to rescue the late Major Mahama but they continued throwing cement blocks at him. He claimed he was also hit. He also claimed that someone took the late Soldier’s pistol and attempted to run away but collected it and handed it over to a member of the Unit Committee.
According to the accused, he was arrested a week after the incident at Agona Swedru and transferred to Kasoa Police station where a statement was taken from him after he was beaten.
However, under Cross Examination, the prosecution led by Chief State Attorney Frances Mullen Ansah put it to the accused that his narrative to the court was not truthful. She said in the accused person’s statement to the Kasoa Police he stated that on that fateful day he traveled to Kumasi to buy car tyres so he was not at the scene.
The accused also stated in Court that he was arrested at Swedru but in his statement to the Police he mentioned Dominase.
The Prosecutor suggested to him that his posture in a picture of him at the crime scene showed that he had pointed a gun at the deceased but he denied it.
The case continues on April 17, 2023.
