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The Court of Appeal has set aside the conviction of William Baah, the former Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi, who was serving a life sentence for allegedly abetting the 2017 murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama.
A three-member panel ruled unanimously that the trial judge, Justice Mariama Owusu, misdirected the jury, leading to a wrongful verdict. The court said the misdirection was so severe that the jury “would not have returned a guilty verdict if properly directed.”
The Court of Appeal also held that the High Court erred in relying on cautioned statements from two accused persons that implicated Baah, stating that the trial judge was required to disregard those statements when instructing the jury.
Background
In January 2024, a seven-member jury convicted Baah and 11 others in connection with the mob lynching of Major Mahama at Denkyira Obuasi in 2017. Baah was found guilty of abetment of murder, while others, including Bernard Asamoah, Kofi Nyame, and Kwame Tuffuor, were convicted of conspiracy and murder.
Two accused persons—Bismark Donkor and Bismarck Abanga—were acquitted and discharged.
The Appeal Court’s ruling now frees Baah, nullifying the earlier High Court decision.
