SOLDIER LYNCHING - KILLER WEAPONS REVEALED

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, June 07, 2017

Investigators working on the death of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, who was lynched by a mob at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central Region, have retrieved lethal objects used to kill the soldier.

The death of the army captain (who was on Monday posthumously promoted to the rank of Major by President Akufo-Addo), has sparked national outrage and over 40 suspects have been arrested so far, awaiting trial.

Some of the objects retrieved were cement blocks, stones, pieces of stick, wood, some of which appear to be drenched in blood.

According to the police, the items, and many others which have not been recovered, were used to beat Major Mahama to death.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has already recounted how a snail seller allegedly raised false alarm, suggesting that Major Mahama was an armed robber after spotting a sidearm on the soldier.

The snail seller had reportedly telephoned the Assembly Member for the area, William Baah, who in turn purportedly organized people in the town to attack the soldier, resulting in his untimely demise.

The police later confirmed that the pistol which the soldier was carrying had been retrieved after it had gone missing during the attack.

Major Mahama will be given a state burial on Friday as ordered by President Akufo-Addo, and a monument is expected to be erected in his honour.

The president also announced packages for the family of the deceased, including a GH¢500,000 Education Trust Fund for his children; and made a personal donation of GH¢50,000 when he visited the family at Burma Camp in Accra.

In the morning of May 29, the soldier was said to have gone on what sources say was his ‘usual’ jogging and on the way, it is claimed, he came across some women, who assumed he was an armed robber because he had a gun tucked at the back of his trousers.

According to some accounts, the women called the assemblyman and informed him that they had seen a man with a gun and were convinced that he was one of the many armed robbers who had been terrorizing residents of the area.

The assemblyman allegedly then called two of his associates and quickly moved straight to the area where the major was seen jogging and he (assemblyman) claimed the soldier then opened fire on them.

He claimed he ran away leaving the two associates who had accompanied him and proceeded to the police station to report the incident, further claiming that by the time the police arrived at the scene, the Major had been lynched.

The deceased family has said that all they want is for justice to prevail for the departed soldier while the military hierarchy has promised never to retaliate but rather would ensure that the investigations were thoroughly done.

Initially, about 120 residents were picked up following the lynching of the soldier and the number has been pruned to over 40, although more arrests are being made.