William Baah, the Assembly Member for Denkyira-Obuasi, in the Central Region, told the Accra High Court that the late Major Maxwell Mahama pointed gun at him and other accused.
Baah, standing trial for alleged abetment of crime in the murder of Major Mahama, at Denkyira-Obuasi, told the court that he and two others were scared when the late soldier pointed a gun at them, compelling them to flee the scene.
Accused, who is also a teacher, was opening his defence before the court presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, in Accra, on Tuesday.
Baah said in the morning of the day the incident occurred, he was teaching when he received a phone call from Maame Bono, a resident, that she spotted a man coming from Diaso and heading towards Denkyira-Obuasi, with a gun.
The Assembly Member told the court that Maame Bono said when the man(Late Major Mahama) got to where she and others were seated, he enquired from them the distance from the place to Denkyira-Obuasi.
The Assembly Member said when he ended the telephone call with the informant, he attempted reaching the District Commander of Police, but the officer’s phone was switched off.
Baah told the court that “I came to Denkyira-Obuasi motor station to ‘pick’ a motor rider to go and verify the information he had received. Whilst we were heading towards Diaso Road from Denkyira-Obuasi, I saw AkwesiBoah (an accused), who tried to stop me.”
The Assembly Member said that “I met him (Akwasi Boah) on the Denkyira-Obuasi to Diaso Road at the junction. And he asked me where I was heading to. And I told him that I had a call that a certain man with a gun was heading towards Denkyira-Obuasi so I was going to verify.”
Baah said, Boah escorted him to the place, adding that “I was sitting behind a motor rider and AkwasiBoah was behind me on the same motorbike, including the rider.”
The Assembly Member told the court that “we met a certain man, who was heading towards Denkyira-Obuasi and we bypassed him, because at the time we met him I did not see him holding any gun.”
Baah said that, after bypassing the man, “When we looked ahead, we didn’t see anyone. He turned and when we turned (about 50metres) we saw the man again. The man turned and upon seeing us, he pointed a gun at us.”
The Assembly Member said “we were scared and I asked the motor rider to turn back. At the time the man pointed the gun at us. While he was turning I saw Yaw Amankwa (another accused) also on a motorbike heading towards Denkyira-Obuasi.”
The late Major Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion, Burma Camp, Accra, was on duty at Denkyira-Obuasi, and 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 Assembly Member and 13 others are still in prison custody after they pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, murder, abetment of crime and other charges.
They are Baah, 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.
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
