As The Herald investigates where the truth-telling DCE was concealed
Six years after one of the nation's most promising young military officers, Captain Maxwell Mahama, was lynched to death, the country is beginning to comprehend the circumstances surrounding his death.
More shocking is the revelation that the government attempted a cover-up by fabricating the dismissal of a key appointee, and then offered him an enticing position at a strategic state institution in order to silence him.
Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation and former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has confirmed that Major Mahama died while providing security to a galamsey site belonging to C&J Aleska, who are clients of Gabby Asare-Otchere Darko and sometimes goes by the name Heritage Mining.
This is not the first time that doubts have been cast on the story fabricated by the Akufo-Addo government, the Ghana Armed Forces, and sections of the Ghanaian media that Major Mahama, who was later promoted posthumously to the rank of Army Captain, was killed by the people of Denkyira Obuasi because they mistook him for an armed robber.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Upper Denkyira West District, Daniel Appianing, under whose watch the heinous crime occurred, was the first to dispute the robbery claims, but was immediately silenced by the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, who told him to keep quiet if he had nothing significant to say about the gruesome murder.
In May 2017, the DCE, who was also the head of the District Security Council (DISEC) and an anti-galamsey fighter, revealed that his people were furious with the soldiers for preventing them from engaging in galamsey activities while protecting Chinese nationals who are in the area conducting the illegal business.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, interdicted Daniel Appianing and ultimately terminated his appointment as DCE, but on the blindside of Ghanaians, the government which was angry at his utterance, sent him to Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) as its Deputy Director General in charge of Operations and Technical, where he has been cooling off from the rough and tumble of Ghanaian politics.
On the GMA's website, the profile of the former DCE read, "Mr. Daniel Appianin is a savvy public servant with over fourteen years of experience. He rose through the ranks of the Ghana Education service, where he tutored Economics and Business Management in numerous senior High schools across the country, to become Assistant Director 1 in the service.
"Prior to his appointment as deputy Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, he also served as District Chief Executive of the Upper Denkyira West District Assembly in the Central region.
"Mr. Daniel Appianin is an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual who is eager to learn and accept new challenges. He also possesses excellent interpersonal abilities.
"Mr. Daniel Appianin is from Abora in the Central Region of Ghana, close to Dunkwa on-Offin.
At the University of Cape Coast, he received a Bachelor of Education in Social Sciences (Economics, Management, and Education).
Daniel Appianing's shocking revelation and near-justification of the gruesome murder cast doubt on the earlier story that the locals mistook Captain Mahama, the nephew of ex-President John Mahama, for an armed robber because he was carrying a pistol while jogging in Denkyira Obuasi at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29, 2017.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng's report, titled "Report on The Work of The IMCIM and the Way Forward," was composed and presented to the president in 2021, but it was released to the media. Prior to his demise, he indicated in his report that Major Mahama was supervising a C&J Aleska-owned mining site in Denkyira Obuasi.
He claims that Major Mahama was slain while "providing security for Donald Entsuah and his C&J Aleska."
According to his words, "Many Ghanaians will recall the C&J Aleska, a mining company co-owned by Donald Entsuah and a Canadian national, Simon Ayman, that wreaked havoc on the town of Denkyira Oduase, near Diaso.
During the previous NDC administration, a number of mining companies signed MOUs with the Ghana Army regulating the provision of security services to mining companies. The personnel stationed at C&J Aleska were once under the command of Captain Mahama. This fine soldier was slain while protecting Donald Entsuah and his C&J Aleska," he continued.
Captain Maxwell Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion was reportedly killed while exercising at dawn. He was stoned and burned by the local adolescents.
Mr. Appianing stated on Accra-based Adom FM on May 30, 2017, a day after the incident, that although the Chinese nationals have a license to prospect for gold in the area, they are engaging in illicit mining.
"There are a large number of military personnel protecting the Chinese, and the lynched soldier is alleged to have been a member of this group. In fact, he is said to have been the leader of this group.""I am surprised they are not providing you with a thorough briefing, instead claiming they are here to fight galamseyers," he said.
Further, he requested that those who mistrust his claim contact the local police and Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) commanders for confirmation.
"As I speak, there are reports that the BNI is asking the military for assistance to stop it, as it is causing discord between the residents and the military," he said.
However, the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, immediately intervened and asked the newly appointed DCE to remain silent.
According to him, it is unfortunate for the DCE to remark on the tragic matter when he knows little to nothing about the young officer's untimely demise.
"I do not know who this DCE is, but he should refrain from commenting on this issue because he does not comprehend it.
I implore him not to speak on this matter again if he is unaware of the specifics being discussed. He should keep silent. The Minister of Defense stated, "I will contact the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to speak with him."
"I will urge all government communicators, including the DCE, to clarify issues with the ministry prior to releasing information regarding the army," "If he doesn't know what's going on, he shouldn't speak because he's new on the job," he said.
He also instructed the DCE to submit the BNI reports he claims to possess to the District Security Committee (DISEC) for transmission to Accra.
The Minister's remark was in response to the DCE's assertion that the late Captain Mahama, as commander of a military detachment in the region, was safeguarding a group of Chinese nationals illegally mining gold in the Upper Wassa Forest.
Mr. Nitiwul vehemently denied the DCE's accusations, stating that he is innocent. According to him, the late Captain Mahama was assigned to the region by his superiors. According to him, there are 21 mines in the country where the military has been assigned to safeguard legal miners.
According to him, the deceased was participating in Operation Halt 2, a military operation against the Galamsey.
Since then, the Ghana Armed Forces have verified the incident and stated that an investigation is ongoing.
A large number of armed military personnel have been dispatched to Denkyira-Obuasi in the Central Region to seek for the locals who lynched the Captain.
According to Captain Mahama's close friends, he was eligible for promotion to Major as he had concluded his exams.
Many Ghanaians have expressed their revulsion at his murder. He is from the household of former President John Mahama in Bole.
In a Facebook post, the former president wrote, "My heart goes out to my brother, Captain Chubby Adam Mahama (Ret.), on the death of his son, Captain Maxwell Mahama. My condolences are also extended to the deceased's wife, small children, and mother on the loss of her only son.
Police in the Denkyira Obuasi district, where Captain Mahama was lynched, accuse the military of obstructing investigations into the incident and demand their withdrawal from the town.
District Police Commander ASP Osei-Adu Agyemang told Joy News that the presence of the military has forced residents to abandon their homes, thwarting police efforts to obtain credible information from witnesses regarding the circumstances surrounding the officer's death.
"Our current concerns are the soldiers storming Denkyira Obuasi and the majority of the population fleeing the city. It will take time for the police to interview potential witnesses in order to expedite the investigation, he said.
Commander stated that investigations have been suspended due to the lack of witnesses.
According to him, on Tuesday morning the police attempted to make contact, "but we were unsuccessful because they were informed that the majority of the youth had been informed last night that the military would be deployed to the city."
Following the murder, a high-level delegation headed by the Army Chief of Staff is conducting an investigation in the town.
The District Police Commander, ASP Osei-Adu Agyemang, stated that they are searching for the Assemblyman to obtain additional information after he reported that an officer pulled a gun on him and other residents, prompting him to run to the police station to file a complaint.
According to Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, the government will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the bizarre murder.
"The circumstances surrounding this officer's callous murder have not yet been established, so I urge that we refrain from drawing conclusions until a thorough investigation is conducted."
He stated that the circumstances surrounding the murder are peculiar because the victim was equipped.
"Had it been the typical Ghanaian method of shouting 'julor' [thief], the officer would have immediately killed some people if he had known they would kill him.
"It is evident how he was assassinated; the villagers may not have yelled due to the thief syndrome. "They may have struck him without him understanding their motives," the Minister said.
According to him, in order to prevent a reprisal attack, the military's highest command, acting on his advice, added two officers and thirty-five men to the investigating platoon.
But, according to ASP Agyemang, "if the military withdraws and allows investigations to continue, the residents will return and the police will make contact with potential witnesses to continue the investigations.
In a related development, a security analyst at the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre's Head of Faculty of Academic Research (FAR) has cast doubt on the claim of mistaken identity as the motive for the lynching.
Dr. Kwesi Anning told Joy News that he wants investigators to dig deeper, as the murder reflects the intensification of what he calls a crisis.
"Even more disturbing is the willingness of the unseen hands and forces behind the criminality in West Africa to collaborate with larger-scale organized crime," he said.
Members of Parliament have also demanded prompt investigations into the assassination of Captain Mahama. The lawmakers have condemned the murder and demanded that the perpetrators be brought to justice.
The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to investigate the scandals detailed in a report on galamsey authored by a former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The heart surgeon and former chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) identifies violations of fundamental human rights, alleged corrupt practices, issues of conflict of interest, and abuse of public office by certain public officials and others in his report.
The petition filed by the representative's attorneys on April 25, 2023 stated, "...the following findings of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of public office have been made:"On January 11, 2021, the task force entered a concession at the Bepotenten location, which we had been monitoring for some time. Residents of the region alleged that Chinese miners harassed them.
The devastation to the forest reserve was incomprehensible. Large economic trees were cut down and thrown into murky bodies of water to rot. On dozens of acres of land, there were dozens of enormous graves. The nearby cocoa plantations were devastated. Seven excavators were seized, and as is customary, so-called "big men" began calling.
Mr. Charles Owusu was the first to assert ownership of the concession and excavators. This individual is the Operations Manager of the Forestry Commission, and he was illegally mining in a forest reserve, destroying forests, farmland, and water bodies, as well as the entire biota."