12 bag life imprisonment in Ghana for lynching army officer

A Ghanaian court has sentenced 12 convicts to life in prison after they were found guilty of killing an army officer seven years ago.

They were accused of lynching Major Maxwell Mahama in May 2017 in the Denkyira Obuasi district, causing outrage across the country.

The High Court in Ghana’s capital, Accra, convicted the 12 on Monday of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and abetment of murder. Two people were acquitted and discharged.

The late army officer was on duty in the country’s Central region when he was attacked by a mob on allegations that he was an armed robber.

He was among the soldiers deployed to protect a local mine in the area. His death triggered anger across Ghana.

In response to the incident, more than 50 people were apprehended, with 14 finally being assessed for prosecution.

The government promoted the late soldier to the rank of major after his death and granted him a formal burial in Accra, the capital.

In 2019, the government unveiled a statue of the dead soldier in Accra to raise awareness against mob attacks.