Chief Inspector Daniel Arthur Yeboah, a policeman, yesterday, told the Accra High Court that the body of late Major Adams Mahama was partially burnt when the police team arrived at the crime scene.
Major Mahama was allegedly murdered on May 29, 2017, at Denkyira-Obuasi, in the Central Region, by 14 men, who mistook the soldier to be an armed robber.
Giving evidence, as the 10th prosecution witness, Chief Insp Yeboah, said upon arrival at a section of the Denkyira-Obuasi road, he spotted more than 100 people jubilating over the lynching of the soldier.
Led in evidence by Joshua Sackey, a state attorney, Chief Insp. Yeboah said Major Mahama’s disfigured head was covered with blood, and pieces of cement blocks around the corpse.
He told the court presided by Mariama Owusu that the corpse was taken to the government hospital mortuary for preservation.
Chief Insp. Yeboah, who is with the Diaso police station, stated that the police team that visited the crime scene, found a-nine millimetre cartridge.
He said on the morning of May 29, at about 10:10am, the first accused, William Baah, who is the Assembly member of Denkyira-Obuasi, reported at the police station that he (Baah) had received a call from a food vendor that a pistol wielding man, who they suspected to be an armed robber, was walking along Dankwakrom road to Denkyira-Obuasi.
He said Baah told him that he mobilised two men armed with a single barrel gun and went after the alleged armed robber.
Chief Insp. Yeboah, said Baah and the two others caught up with Major Mahama at a section of the road, near the cemetery, however, when Baah approached the soldier, he pulled a gun at him, and he managed to escape.
The prosecution witness said he asked Baah to make a complaint with the charge office.
Chief Insp Yeboah said a few moments later, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ofei Agyeman called from Dunkwa On Offin that he had received a report of activities of armed robbers at Denkyira Obuasi.
The witness stated that he led a team of four other policemen with three AK47 guns and drove off in a commercial vehicle to where Major Mahama was allegedly lynched.
Chief Insp Yeboah told the court that upon arriving at the crime scene at 10:25am, he spotted more than 100 people allegedly jubilating over the killing of the soldier.
He said later that day, at about 7pm, three soldiers led by Warrant Officer (WO) 2 Lawrence Achia Yaw, came to the station to report that their detachment commander went jogging and he had not returned.
He said the military men said they had information that the body of a suspected armed robber was deposited at the mortuary and said when they followed up, they identified the body as that of Major Mahama.
The case stands adjourned.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
