Major Mahama Case: No Evidence Against Assemblyman William Baah in Lynching – Lawyer
Court of Appeal overturns Baah’s conviction, clearing him of all charges in the 2017 mob killing
- Court of Appeal overturns William Baah’s conviction in Major Mahama lynching case
- No evidence found that Baah assisted or encouraged the mob killing
- Trial judge misdirected jury and relied on flawed statements, leading to wrongful verdict
William Baah, former Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi, has been cleared of all charges in the high-profile Major Maxwell Mahama murder case after the Court of Appeal found no evidence linking him to the lynching.
Baah’s lawyer, George Bernard Shaw, said the court’s ruling confirms that his client neither assisted nor encouraged anyone in the 2017 mob killing of the late soldier. The decision on Thursday, November 20, overturned Baah’s earlier conviction, for which he had been serving a life sentence for abetment of murder.
A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled that the trial judge, Justice Mariama Owusu, misdirected the jury, resulting in a wrongful guilty verdict. The court noted that proper jury instruction would likely have led to an acquittal.
The panel also criticized the High Court’s reliance on cautioned statements from two co-accused persons implicating Baah, stating these should have been excluded when directing the jury. These procedural errors were deemed substantial enough to invalidate the conviction.
Speaking to Eyewitness News, Shaw emphasized that there was no evidence connecting Baah to the crime.
“There was no evidence to show that he either assisted, helped, encouraged or commanded anybody to do the unfortunate thing that they did… It has been rectified. He’s very free,” Shaw said.
While extending condolences to Major Mahama’s family, Shaw clarified that the fatal blows were inflicted by other accused individuals who faced direct murder charges.
The ruling marks a significant development in a case that gripped the nation and sparked renewed discussions on mob violence and the need for stronger legal safeguards.
Background:
In January 2024, a seven-member jury at the High Court in Accra convicted Baah and 11 others over Major Mahama’s 2017 lynching. Baah had been found guilty of abetment of murder, while others, including Bernard Asamoah, Kofi Nyame, Akwasi Baah, and Kwame Tuffuor, were convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, with eight also found guilty of murder. Two accused, Bismark Donkor and Bismarck Abanga, were acquitted.
