COMMISSIONER OF POLICE vs. SARPEY AND NYAMEKYE [1961]DLSC10224

Date	1961-12-25
Suit No.	G L R 756 - 760
Citation No.	[1961]DLSC10224

SARKODEE-ADOO J.S.C

ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.S.C.

CRABBE J.S.C.

K. A. SEKYI FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.

B. J. DA ROCHA WITH HIM E. N. MOORE FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT

K. DUA SAKYI WITH HIM ADJETEY FOR THE RESPONDENT (THE STATE).

[1961]DLSC10224
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >COMMISSIONER
OF POLICE<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SARPEY AND NYAMEKYE<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:150%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">G L
R 756 - 760&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:&nbsp;
25TH DECEMBER, 1961<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>K. A. SEKYI FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>B. J. DA ROCHA WITH HIM E. N. MOORE FOR THE
SECOND APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

K. DUA SAKYI WITH HIM
ADJETEY FOR THE RESPONDENT (THE STATE).<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SARKODEE-ADOO J.S.C,
ADUMUA-BOSSMAN J.S.C., CRABBE J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; JUDGMENT&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;SARKODEE-ADOO
J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Sarkodee-Adoo, J.S.C. delivered the judgment
of the court.&nbsp; The appellant Kofi Sarpey
who is a general police constable was charged in count 3 with aiding and
abetting Kodjo Koranteng, a delivery clerk, Felix Lamptei, a delivery clerk,
and James Amoo Nelson, a lorry driver in the commission of the offence of
stealing.&nbsp; The three named persons were
charged with conspiracy to steal in count 1, and in count 2 with stealing two
cases of blouses valued at £G222 15s, the property of the Palm Line Agencies
Ltd.; in count 4 Felix Lamptei was charged with the forgery of waybill No.
5646; and Felix Lamptei and James Amoo Nelson were charged with uttering the
said waybill in count 5. The part taken by the appellant is not in dispute and
as such for the purposes of this judgment it is unnecessary to recapitulate in
detail the facts thereof save to state that a charge of conspiracy had earlier
been withdrawn against the appellant and the evidence clearly shows that at the
time he became involved or identified with the transaction, the alleged stealing
had already occurred.&nbsp; His participation,
if any, was allowing the vehicle carrying the stolen goods unchecked passage:
whether or not by his conduct he committed an offence under the Criminal Code
is not a matter for conjecture by this court; we are only concerned with the
appeal before us.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Section 20 of the Criminal Code, 19601 under
which the charge against him was preferred provides as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"(1) Every person who, directly or
indirectly, instigates, commands, counsels, procures, solicits, or in any
manner purposely aids, facilitates, encourages, or promotes, whether by his act
or presence or otherwise, and every person who does any act of the purpose of
aiding, facilitating, encouraging, or promoting the commission of a crime by
any other person, whether known or unknown, certain or uncertain, is guilty of
abetting that crime, and of abetting the other person in respect of that crime.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(2) Every person who abets a crime shall, if
the crime is actually committed in pursuance or during the continuance of the
abetment, be deemed guilty of that crime.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(3) Every person who abets a crime shall, if
the crime is not actually committed, be punishable as follows, that is to say—<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(a) where the crime abetted was punishable by
death the abetter shall be liable to imprisonment for life; and<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(b) in any other case the abetter shall be
punishable in the same manner as if the crime had been actually committed in
pursuance of the abetment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(4) An abetter may be tried before, with, or
after a person abetted, and although the person abetted is dead or is otherwise
not amenable to justice.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(5) An abetter may be tried before, with, or
after any other abetter, whether he and such other abetter abetted each other
in respect of the crime or not, and whether they abetted the same or different
parts of the crime.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(6) An abetter shall have the benefit of any
matter of exemption, justification, or extenuation to which he is entitled
under this Code, notwithstanding that the person abetted or any other abetter
is not entitled to the like benefit.<o:p></o:p>