General News of Thursday, 15 February 2018
Source: citifmonline.com
2018-02-15
The 14 were among 22 persons arraigned before the court on charges of murder
The lawyer for seven of the accused persons in the Major Mahama trial, has withdrawn his services leaving the suspects in a desperate search for legal representation.
The seven are part of 14 people who have been put before the High Court to be tried for murder, after a District Court committed them for trial.
The lawyer, George Bernard Shaw, withdrew his services at the High Court, claiming he had some challenges.
Thursday’s hearing was the first since the case was moved to the High Court. The Court is expected to set up a jury for full trial to begin. The case has thus been adjourned to March 5, 2018.
The prosecution is expected to call fifteen witnesses and present 52 different pieces of evidence as part of their case when the trial begins.
The 14 suspects, including the Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi, where the gruesome killing took place, were among 52 persons who were brought to the District Court when the case commenced. After investigations by the police, 38 of the suspects were discharged.
The deceased, Major Mahama, an officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion, is said to have been on his daily jogging routine on Monday [May 29, 2017], when some angry youth of the town attacked him, allegedly on suspicion of being an armed robber.