The legal battle surrounding the tragic killing of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama has taken a dramatic turn, as the Court of Appeal has overturned the life sentence imposed on William Baah, the former Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi. Baah, who had been convicted for aiding the mob attack that resulted in the soldier’s death, is now a free man.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal delivered the decision on Thursday, November 20, after reviewing the High Court’s handling of the case. The judges concluded that the trial process had been compromised by serious misdirection from the then-presiding judge, Justice Mariama Owusu of the Supreme Court, who was sitting with additional responsibility as a High Court judge at the time.
According to the appellate court, the jury’s guilty verdict was influenced by incorrect guidance from the trial judge. The panel found that the High Court improperly relied on caution statements made by two other accused persons—statements that attempted to implicate Baah even though they were not made in his presence. The court stressed that such statements could only be used against the individuals who made them, not against a co-accused.
The judges further noted that the statements used to connect Baah to the crime were marked by contradictions and doubtful elements, making them unreliable for a conviction. With these findings, the panel concluded that the jury would not have returned a guilty verdict if they had received proper legal direction.
Following these assessments, the Court of Appeal ruled in Baah’s favor, setting aside his life sentence and ordering his release. He was represented in the appeal by counsel George Bernard Shaw.
