Court of Appeal Overturns Assemblyman’s Life Sentence in Major Mahama Murder Case
Assemblyman William Baah freed after court rules trial judge misdirected jury, leading to wrongful conviction.
- Court of Appeal overturns William Baah’s life sentence in Major Mahama murder case
- Panel rules High Court misdirected jury and relied on inadmissible statements
- Baah is released, highlighting serious procedural errors in original trial
The Court of Appeal has quashed the life sentence of former Denkyira Obuasi Assembly Member, William Baah, who had been convicted of abetting the 2017 murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama.
A three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the High Court trial, presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu (then sitting as a High Court judge), involved serious misdirections to the jury that rendered the guilty verdict unsafe.
The court emphasized that, had the jury been properly guided, it “would not have returned a verdict of guilt.”
The appeal judges also criticized the High Court for relying on cautioned statements from co-accused individuals that implicated Baah. “The judge was obliged to disregard these incriminating statements when directing the jury,” the panel noted, describing the error as fundamental enough to invalidate the conviction.
Case Background:
In January 2024, a seven-member High Court jury in Accra found William Baah and 11 others guilty in connection with the mob lynching of Major Mahama. Baah was convicted of abetment of murder, while eight others were additionally found guilty of murder and the remaining three for conspiracy to commit murder. Two accused, Bismark Donkor and Bismarck Abanga, were acquitted.
This ruling clears Baah of all charges, highlighting procedural errors that led to his wrongful conviction.
