GRUMAH vs. THE STATE

JUDGMENT OF BRUCE-LYLE J.S.C. This is an appeal against a conviction for murder at the Criminal Session held at Accra and dated 17 September 1964. The case for the prosecution is that the appellant, Seidu Grumah, lived at Oworobong No. 2 in the Kwahu area with the deceased and three other Grumahs and all of them worked there as farm labourers; they earned together a total amount of £G70 which they gave to the appellant on 23 November 1962, for safekeeping and to be returned to them when they were about to return to their hometown Fadon outside Ghana. The following day they approached the appellant for the return of the money but the appellant told them that he had given it to another person for safekeeping and that he would like to go with the deceased to collect same. On 25 November 1962, at 5.30 a.m. the appellant and the deceased set out to go and collect the money from this other man who, according to the appellant, lived in another village. It was agreed that if they did not see....