Court Adjourns Maj Mahama's Case Because 5 Suspects Have No Counsel

By Castro Zangina Tong

Five of the suspected killers of Major Maxwell Adams Mahama have still not got lawyers to defend them.

In the light of this, the Criminal Court "2" of the Accra High Court yesterday adjourned the case to Wednesday, March 21, 2018.

But Mr. George Bernard Shaw, a lawyer for six of the 14 accused, told the court presided by Madam Justice Mariama Owusu that he was consulting some human rights lawyers if they could offer legal services to the affected persons.

They are, Kofi Nyame also known as Abortion, third accused, Akwasi Baah, fourth accused, Joseph Appiah Kubi also known as Kumdede, sixth accused, John Boasie, ninth accused and Bismark Abanga, 13th accused.

These people told the court that they had lost their parents and, therefore, did not have anyone to engage the services of lawyers for them.

Mr. Augustine Gyamfi is also defending three of the accused thus bringing the total number of persons with legal representation to nine.

Mr. Shaw was the lawyer who represented all the 14 accused from Denkyira Obuasi when the case was initially at the Accra Central District Court "3" awaiting their committal to the High Court for trial.

Madam Justice Mariama Owusu said that she would be compelled to assign some lawyers to the five people should they fail to get the human rights lawyers to defend them but still pleaded with Mr. Shaw to do his best and contact his colleagues to come to the aid of the accused.

She again pointed out that the court was challenged with the empanelling of jurors to sit on the case as most of them were advanced in age and would soon go on retirement.

"What is the use of empanelling someone who is 58 years and above to sit on this case if the trial prolongs," she said, and indicated that the High Court would need between 13 and 15 jurors to handle the matter.

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