Murder trial: My brother was not among alleged killers – witness
Mr Ebenezer Appiah, the seventh prosecution witness on Wednesday told an Accra High Court that he would be surprised if the brother was part of those who allegedly lynched the late Major Maxwell Mahama.
“l will be surprised if my brother (Brother Kwaku a.k.a Ambo) was part of the people who lynched the late Major Mahama”.
He told the court trying the alleged murderers of Major Mahama that he saw his brother at the scene on that fateful day but he did not take part in the act.
The witness who speaking through a Twi interpreter during cross-examination by Mr Theophilus Donkor, Counsel for Kofi Nyame one of the accused, Ebenezer said he was not concealing information to protect his brother.
Counsel asked the witness why he did not mention his brother’s name to the police in his statement, but the witness said he was asked to mention the names of people he saw actively participating in the lynching of the late Military Officer.
Mr Donkor pointed out to the witness that, it was his brother, who hit the deceased first with a stone before others followed but the witness denied this assertion.
Defence counsel suggested to Ebenezer that because it was his brother, he was trying to conceal information from the court to protect him but the witness disagreed.
The witnessed was asked, whether he was aware of a misunderstanding between his brother and Nyame who used to work with him but Ebenezer said he was not aware.
Mr Donkor pointed out to the witness that his brother was actually having problems with Kofi because both were dating the same lady of which his brother wanted to use his rich background to influence the lady but again, the witness said he was not aware.
“Your only motivation to testify in court is to settle the score on behalf of your brother or even the family by implicating Kofi,” the defence said but the witness disagreed.
He suggested to the witness that he was concealing that aspect of the information of his brother’s involvement so that his brother could escape prosecution but the witness denied it. Counsel asked the witness why his brother fled the community but he said it was because everyone was running for their dear live that was why his brother also fled.
The defence said “your brother on that fateful day was part of the people, who lynched the late Major to death,” but the witness answered in the negative.
Counsel described the witness as not being truthful to the court.
On February 21, the witness told the court that on that fateful day he saw one of the accused persons Kofi Nyame a.k.a Abortion lift a cement block and hit the head of the late Major Mahama upon which the victim became weak.
He said the victim, who was very weak, had fire set to his pubic hair and immediately after he saw the arrival of the Deiso Police with the Assemblyman William Baah, but Baah did not get down from the Police vehicle.
Mr Appiah said after the Police took the body away, he also drove his tricycle and left the scene.
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 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 Nyame a.k.a 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.
The Court presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, adjourned the matter to Wednesday, April 3, for the State to present its eighth witness.
Source: GNA