The Court of Appeal has overturned the life sentence of former Denkyira Obuasi Assembly Member, William Baah, who was convicted for abetting the 2017 murder of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama.

Delivering a unanimous ruling on Thursday, November 20, the three-member panel held that the trial judge, Justice Mariama Owusu—then a Supreme Court Justice sitting as an additional High Court judge—misdirected the jury, leading to a wrongful conviction.

According to the Court of Appeal, the High Court judge gravely erred by relying on cautioned statements from two co-accused persons that purported to incriminate Baah. The panel emphasised that such statements:


  • Must be made in the presence of the person they implicate, and

  • Can be used only against the accused who made them, not against a co-accused.

“The judge was bound to disregard the incriminating statements when directing the jury,” the court ruled.

The court further noted that the statements used against Baah were riddled with inconsistencies and suspicion, making their reliance unsafe.

With these findings, the Court of Appeal concluded that the jury’s guilty verdict would not have been reached had proper legal directions been given, leading to Baah’s release.