BONI AND ANOTHER vs. THE REPUBLIC [1970]DLSC2096

Date	1970-12-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1970]DLSC2096

AZU CRABBE JA

JIAGGE JA

ARCHER J.A.

J. REINDORF (KUDJAWU WITH HIM) FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.

K. F. ASAFU-ADJAYE FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.

V. E. A. KISSEIH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1970]DLSC2096
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BONI AND ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL]<o:p></o:p>&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1971] 1 GLR 454<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:
21 DECEMBER 1970.<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">

J.
REINDORF (KUDJAWU WITH HIM) FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

K. F. ASAFU-ADJAYE
FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

V. E. 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">

AZU CRABBE, JIAGGE AND ARCHER JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF AZU CRABBE J.A<o:p></o:p>Azu
Crabbe J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. On 28th July 1969 the two appellants,
who had been jointly charged with offences under section 1 of the Public
Property(Protection) and Corrupt Practices (Prevention) Act, 1962 (Act 121),
were convicted by Edward Wiredu J. and were each sentenced to six years’
imprisonment with productive hard labour. The first appellant was charged on
five counts, and the second appellant alone was charged on the sixth count. The
statement and particulars of offence in the first count, which, except for
dates and amounts, were the same as in the other five counts, were in these
terms:<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">“FIRST
COUNT <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">STATEMENT
OF OFFENCE <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">DISSIPATION
OF PUBLIC PROPERTY THROUGH CARELESSNESS: contrary to section 1 of the Public
Property (Protection) and Corrupt Practices (Prevention) Act, 1962. <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">PARTICULARS
OF OFFENCE <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">HANS KOFI
BONI on or about the 25th day of October, 1964, at Ho in the Volta Region by
reason of a careless attitude to the affairs of the Industrial Development
Corporation in Liquidation did so mismanage the affairs thereof as to cause the
dissipation of public property to wit £400 (N¢800.00).”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
evidence shows that the first appellant was appointed the Regional Commissioner
for the Volta Region, and was stationed at Ho from 1961 to 1965. He was
succeeded by the second appellant, who remained in office until the Kwame
Nkrumah Government was overthrown on 24 February 1966. On 29 February 1968 the
two appellants appeared before the High Court, Ho on the same charges upon
which they were subsequently convicted and sentenced at the High Court, Accra,
by Edward Wiredu J. At Ho, Kingsley-Nyinah J. gave a ruling in which he said:<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">“It is my
view, therefore, that both defendants cannot, as now, be charged together
and/or tried together on the very same charge sheet. I hold therefore that they
must be charged separately and tried separately: See section 110 (1) (a) of Act
30. In these circumstances, therefore, I order that each defendant herein be
charged and tried separately upon separate charge sheets. By reason of the
foregoing, therefore, each defendant is hereby and accordingly discharged;
section 232 (1) of Act 30. The appellants were thereafter re-arrested, and on
25 March 1968 they were brought before Charles Crabbe J. (as he then was) at
the High Court, Accra, jointly charged with practically the same offences as
when they appeared before the High Court, Ho, on 29 February 1968. Counsel for
the second appellant promptly raised an objection to the proceedings, and in
his submissions to the court he said:<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">&nbsp;“The first p</main>