[1987]DLHC1220 • December 20, 1987 • High Court
YIRENKYI vs. THE REPUBLIC
The appellant, Jonathan Yirenkyi, a clerk at G.N.T.C. Agona Swedru, was charged with forgery for altering a chit originally issued to the Ghana Police Force Training Depot, Winneba, substituting the name 'Ama Akoto' (his wife) and changing the date, thereby obtaining ten bags of flour valued at ¢320. The flour was paid for by Ama Akoto and collected by Mary Eshun, the appellant's mother-in-law. The appellant pleaded guilty with explanation, asserting no dishonest intent but sympathy for his wife's caretaker. The trial magistrate convicted and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment with hard labour, rejecting the explanation as untenable.
read moreJUDGMENT OF OKUNOR J. The appellant in this case was convicted of the offence of forgery. The charge on which he was tried read: “STATEMENT OF OFFENCE FORGERY—Section 159 of Act 29/60 PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE JONATHAN YIRENKYI: CLERK:—For that you on 16 September 1977 at Agona Swedru in the Central Magisterial District and within the jurisdiction of this court with intent to defraud one Nana Opuni the wholesale keeper of G.N.T.C. that ten bags of flour had been authorised by the district manager of the G.N.T.C. to be allocated to one Ama Akoto did forge a chit issued by the said district manager of the G.N.T.C. to Winneba Police Training Depot for ten bags of flour on 5 September 1977 to read Ama Akoto on 16 September 1977 whereby you succeeded in detaining ten bags of flour for the said Ama Akoto.” To this charge he pleaded “Guilty with explanation” whereupon the prosecuting officer went on to give the “facts” as follows: “The accused is an emplo...