I saw one of the accused take my father’s gun – Witness
Miss Hannah Dwumah, 14 years and the Sixth Prosecution Witness in the trial of the alleged murderers of the late Major Maxwell Mahama said she saw Akwasi Asante, one of the accused “persons take his father’s gun”.
She said on the fateful day, May 29, 2017 “l went to school without picking my pocket money, so l came back home to pick the money and upon entering our room, a few minutes later, my uncle Akwasi Asante entered to pick the gun.”
Miss Dwumah, who is a Junior High School Student in Form two, who gave her evidence in chief led by Mrs Evelyn Keelson, Chief State Attorney said, she asked Uncle Asante twice, where he was taking the gun but he did not answer her.
The witness, who spoke in Twi through an interpreter said she locked the door and left for school and it was upon her return from school that she informed his father that uncle Asante came for his gun.
“My father went to Deiso Police Station to lodge a complaint, where I was invited to give my statement to the police,” she added.
The witness was made to identify the said Akwasi Asante in open court.
Mr Patrick Anim-Addo, Counsel for Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima, who cross-examined the witness asked her whether she gave a statement to the police and she responded in the affirmative.
Asked, whether before giving the evidence, she had read through the statement but the witness answered in the negative.
The Counsel asked the witness, whether she told the police that his father’s gun was not working and she responded in the affirmative.
“How did you know that the gun was not working,” he asked and Miss Dwumah said the accused has been borrowing the gun to kill pigs but stopped for some time because, he said the gun was not shooting well.
The witness said usually he asked permission from his father before taking the gun but when his father was not around, he sometimes ask her mother before taking it but if none of them was around he would not touch the gun.
The Court presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, adjourned the matter to Tuesday, February 12, for further cross examination.
Fourteen persons are standing trial at an Accra High Court over the killing of Major Mahama, who was an Officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion, at the Burma Camp.
The late Major was on duty at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region when on May 29, 2017 some residents allegedly mistook him for an armed robber and lynched him.
The mob had ignored his persistent plea that he was an officer of the Ghana Armed Forces.
The accused are William Baah, the Assemblyman of Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyarko aka Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim and Bismarck Donkor.
Others are John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.
Source: GNA