Mahama lynching: ‘Snitch’ snail seller identified – Police

The Ghana Police Service has got the identity of the woman who informed the assemblyman of Denkyira Obuasi that Captain Maxwell Mahama was an armed robber, after she had seen the sidearm of the now deceased officer as he took money from his pocket to pay for snails he had bought from her.

The Director of CID, DCOP Bright Oduro, disclosed this at a joint press conference with the Ghana Armed Forces at the Police Headquarters in Accra on Friday, 2 June.

“We have the identity of the woman who sold the snails to Captain Adam. Unfortunately, when we went there yesterday we did not see any woman selling at the roadside. As I said, everyone has gone into hiding. I believe she has also gone into hiding, but as I have indicated, we have her identity. We have her name and we are in the process of tracking her down,” he stated.

“She does not sell alone, there are other women. We are not sure that it was she that gave out the information, but through our investigation we will be able to establish who actually did that. But the one who sold the snails to the captain we are doing our outmost best to track her down.”

Meanwhile, the IGP has said the police service has started putting in place measures to “eradicate” mob action following the lynching of Captain Mahama.

Mr David Asante-Apeatu said: “The police service which I head, has already started putting measures in place to eradicate these acts of impunity.

“These measures include stern enforcement of the law, liaising with other relevant institutions to embark on massive public education, strengthening criminal investigations, and taking community policing to a higher level.”

According to him, all these are included in the major transformation agenda being pursued by the police to professionalise the service.

He said: “Persons who violate the laws of the land in a manner akin to what has happened in the late Captain’s case would be dealt with accordingly,” adding: “The police is prepared to collaborate with stakeholders to cure this canker of instant justice” and ensure that it is “permanently stamped out of the society. We shall, therefore, stop at nothing to deal with the perpetrators of this phenomenon.”