OWUSU AND ANOTHER vs. THE STATE [1967]DLCA1530

Date	1967-06-22
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1967]DLCA1530

OLLENNU JA

AZU CRABBE JA

APALOO J.A.

APPIAH-MENKA FOR THE APPLICANTS.

S. M. BOISON CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY (WITH HIM V. A. KISSEIH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1967]DLCA1530
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OWUSU AND ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>THE STATE <o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p>[1967] GLR 435<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
22 JUNE 1967<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

APPIAH-MENKA FOR THE APPLICANTS.<o:p></o:p>

S. M. BOISON, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY (WITH HIM V. A.
KISSEIH, SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

OLLENNU, AZU CRABBE AND APALOO JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF OLLENNU J.A<o:p></o:p>Ollennu
J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. The applicants were convicted at the
criminal session of the High Court, Sunyani, on 7 March 1967, of the offence of
stealing and were sentenced respectively to four years’ imprisonment with hard
labour and three years’ imprisonment with hard labour. From their conviction
they have appealed to this court. They then applied to this court for bail
pending the hearing and determination of their appeal. After hearing arguments
for and against the application, we dismissed the application on 5 May 1967,
but reserved our reasons for so doing, and we now proceed to give those
reasons.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The one
and only ground relied on for the application is contained in paragraph (19) of
the affidavit sworn to by the first applicant in support of the application,
and is as follows, “That we are advised and verily believe that the learned
trial judge grossly misdirected himself on the law relating to admissions in criminal
matters.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>One
significant fact disclosed in the affidavit in support of the application is
that the conviction of the applicants is based principally upon extra-judicial
statements made voluntarily by them to the police. According to the applicants
themselves, as disclosed in paragraph (8) of the affidavit supporting their
application, those voluntary statements amount to “admission on our part that
we had taken the money which we considered to be a surplus.” Thus upon the
applicants’ own showing, they were convicted upon their own confession of
guilt.<o:p></o:p>Paragraph
(18) of the affidavit sets out the grounds of appeal which it is proposed to
argue when the appeal comes up for hearing.<o:p></o:p>They are:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(a) The
learned trial judge’s conviction of the appellants herein, based on their
admissions, amounted to a miscarriage of justice since there was no evidence
that the State Cocoa Marketing Board the alleged victim of the alleged offence
had lost the money for which the appellants were charged or any money at all. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b) The
learned trial judge misdirected himself on the law relating to admissions. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(c) The
learned trial judge misdirected himself on the onus of proof in criminal
charges. (d) The order for restitution made in favour of the State Cocoa
Marketing Board was erroneous in view of the lack of evidence on the record
that the said State Cocoa Marketing Board had lost any money.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(e) The
sentences of four years ‘and three years’ imprisonment with hard labour were
excessive. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(f)
Additional grounds to be filed later.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Counsel
for the applicants contended that the allegation that the trial judge “grossly
misdirected himself on the law relating to admissions” in criminal matters
together with the points raised in the grounds of appeal already filed against
the conviction, show that there are “valid deba</main>