<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation" hidden>[1968]DLCA15170</p> <div class="restriction-wrapper"> <div class="container-lg"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-12 restricted-content"> <div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper"> <div class="lock-icon bounce-7"> <img class="" src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png" alt="Subscription based content"> </div> </div> <a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login" class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> Login to Read Full Case </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="0" style="width:576.75pt;mso-cellspacing:0in;margin-left:-2.25pt;background:white; mso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt:2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes; height:.75pt"> <td width="769" valign="top" style="width:576.75pt;padding:2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt; height:.75pt"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:4.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:4.5pt"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">ASAFU-ADJAYE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center; text-indent:4.5pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">[1968] GLR 509-513<o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 99.75pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-indent:4.5pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""> DATE: 27<sup>TH</sup> MAY 1968<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div> <div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 99.75pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;tab-stops:286.5pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;tab-stops:286.5pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">S. M. BOISON, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY, FOR APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;tab-stops:286.5pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">SIR EDWARD ASAFU-ADJAYE FOR RESPONDENT<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.75pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">AKUFO-ADDO C.J., APALOO </span><span lang="en-DE" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:#2000">J.A, </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">LASSEY J.A.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 99.75pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;text-indent:4.5pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.0pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">JUDGMENT OF AKUFO-ADDO C.J.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.0pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Akufo-Addo C.J. delivered the ruling of the court. As a result of findings made against the respondent by the commission appointed to inquire into irregularities and malpractices in the grant of import licences, the Attorney-General, acting in pursuance of section 4 of the Corrupt Practices (Prevention) Act, 1964 (Act 230), instituted proceedings against the respondent in the High Court. The respondent was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit extortion and one count of conspiracy to commit corruption.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.0pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Section 8 (1) of Act 230 provides in substance, that where proceedings are instituted against a person under section 4 of the Act, he shall be convicted of the offence charged against him on the basis of the findings of the commission unless he establishes to the satisfaction of the court that the findings of the commission cannot be sustained. The respondent attempted to do this by legal argument when he appeared before the High Court on divers dates between December 1967 and April 1968. On 5 April 1968, Edusei J. before whom the charges against the respondent were preferred, dismissed them [p.511] holding in effect that they were not established. Accordingly, he proceeded to acquit the respondent on all the counts.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:99.0pt;margin-bottom: 0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The prosecution feeling aggrieved at the said acquittal, appeals to this court on three grounds. These grounds appear, prima facie, to be all questions of law. That such right is conferred upon them by the Criminal Procedure Code, 1960 (Act 30), is not in dispute Indeed section 337 (1) of Act 30 as amended by the Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1963 (Act 191), s. 3 (e) provides: "The prosecution may appeal on a question of law to the [Court of Appeal] against any decision of the High Court in the exercise of its original jurisdiction . . ." It seems plain that in entertaining the cause from which this appeal has been brought, the High Court exercised an original jurisdiction.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua"</main>
