Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame has attributed the delays during Major Maxwell Mahama’s trial to a faulty juror system, which he said the government is taking measures to reform.
Despite the verdict of the jury leading to a life sentence on 12 of the accused persons, the Attorney General noted that they were avoidable delays that led to the trial lasting for over six years.
According to the Attorney General, a major reform that is being initiated is to abolish the jury system or vary it.
He made this known when the family of the late Major Mahama visited the Attorney General’s Department to express appreciation of the ruling.
Addressing the family, Godfred Yeboah Dame indicated that the reforms will prevent such delays.
“The length of time that we took has also resulted in the further amendment of the criminal procedure laws of the country and just two months ago, I was compelled to place before cabinet a bill to reform the criminal justice system of the country to ensure that all the delays that occur in the course of criminal justice delivery will be eliminated and so we are seeking to reform the jury system.
“It is because of the jury system that the trial lasted this long. If you have observed, two years ago, we filed charges of treason against certain citizens of the country, and even though that charge is more serious, it took two years to clear because it did not have the involvement of a jury.”
Meanwhile, the mother of the late Major Mahama, Veronica Bamford, expressed gratitude that, though her son had a gun on him during the attack, he did not shoot anybody in the process.
“He had a gun on him but he did not shoot anybody and, if you don’t know, he won the award for the best shot in his intake. He had a gun and he did not shoot anybody and I am grateful and glad for that.”
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