I didn’t take part in firing squad – Major Mahama’s father

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The father of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, Captain Dennis Mahama (Rtd) has denied taking part in the military firing squad of 1979 that executed some army officers, including a former Head of State, General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong during the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) regime under the leadership of Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

An audio recording now viral on social media cites Captain Mahama (Rtd) as one of the officers detailed to conduct the firing squad in 1979, but he says the claim is untrue and malicious.

Firing squad

He explained that as of the time the firing squad was conducted in 1979, he was in the Volta Region as a senior officer and therefore could not have been part of those who were detailed to carry out the execution.

Captain Mahama (Rtd), who was speaking on Accra-based Okay Fm Friday, June 30, said in the army, senior officers were excluded from firing squad operations.

“In the Armed Forces, an officer does not take part in firing squad”, he said, adding that “as at 1979, I was a Lieutenant….I was a full Lieutenant”.

“How can a Lieutenant go and be doing firing squad?”, he quipped.

Captain Mahama explained that when the late General Acheampong and others were shot during the firing squad, he (Mahama) was in Agortime-Kpetoe as a training officer.

“I was in Agortime-Kpetoe as a training officer “so it is malicious. I don’t understand what they seek to achieve”, he said.

Commissioned

He said he was commissioned Second Lieutenant on March 24, 1977” when the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles visited Ghana during the Acheampong regime.

Captain Mahama added that when the Prince of Wales came to review a parade at the Ghana Military Academy together with Acheampong, he was a Junior Under-Officer and was a commander of one of the contingents at the parade.

He said on March 24, 1979, he was a full Lieutenant and so the claims about him in the said audio could not be true.

According to him, the names of the people who did the firing squad “is there in confidence”, adding that the picture accompanying the audio was a picture of a firing squad exercise that took place in Liberia.

“The picture they are circulating on social media is not the Teshie Shooting Range”, he said.

Captain Mahama said he was still unable to come to terms with the import of the audio, adding that the person behind the said audio “is only trying to mar his image”.

Family/foundation

He said his family together with some army and police officials have visited Denkyira-Obuasi, where his son, Major Mahama was lynched in the Central Region.

He also revealed that his foundation to fight mob action would soon take-off. According to him, mob action should not be allowed to happen to anyone in the country again.

Background

Major Mahama was lynched on Monday, May 29, 2017 by some residents of Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region.

According to preliminary police investigations, the people suspected he was an armed robber and so they attacked and lynched him.

Police investigations are ongoing and more than 50 suspects have been charged in court for his murder.

Firing squad

General Acheampong was a military head of state of Ghana who ruled from 13th January, 1972 to 5th July, 1978.

In June 1979, he was executed by firing squad after a short trial by the then Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which had seized power under the leadership of Flt. Lt Jerry John Rawlings.

Source: Graphic.com.gh