A defence lawyer in the ongoing Major Mahama murder trial, Bernard Shaw, has accused a probation officer with the Department of Social Welfare of failing to insist on, and protect the rights of the accused person, who at the time of his arrest was a juvenile.
Madam Vida Twumasiwaa Danquah, who has been in the service for a little over 12 years, testified in Court that she was called in to serve as an independent witness to the accused person at the time of the arrest.
She admitted that there was no lawyer present at Bernard Asamoah’s interrogation and that the investigator hit the juvenile with a stick.
The social worker also admitted that she had not enquired of the juvenile whether he had eaten prior to the interrogation, but only did so after the interrogation.
The lawyer, Bernard Shaw, put it to the Social worker, whose duty it was at the material time to ensure the rights of the juvenile, that she had failed the juvenile in her sworn oath to protect him.
“You have let Bernard Asamoah down and he was better off if you had not attended as you clearly neglected your duty.”
But, Madam Twumasiwaa Danquah strongly disagreed with the assertion and insisted that she creditably discharged her duty.
It’s been 4 years since the 5th Infantry Battalion Officer was lynched under circumstances that shook the nation and attracted widespread public condemnation. The Court is however still at the cross-examination stage of the 14 persons accused of murder.
He was stationed at Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region on an anti-illegal mining operation when on May 29, 2017, some residents allegedly mistook him for an armed robber and lynched him.
The accused persons are William Baah, the Assembly member of Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyame a.k.a Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim and Bismarck Donkor.
The rest are: John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga and Kwadwo Anima.
Mariama Owusu JSC, sitting as an additional High Court Judge, adjourned the case to June 7, 2021, for cross-examination to continue.
