SOKOTO AND ANOTHER vs. THE REPUBLIC [1972]DLCA2422

Date	1972-07-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1972]DLCA2422

SIRIBOE JSC

BENTSI-ENCHILL J.S.C

KINGSLEY-NYINAH J.A.

A. FORSON FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.

FREMPONG-BOADU FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.

K. A. SEKYI PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1972]DLCA2422
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SOKOTO 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;[1972]
2 GLR 372<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
21 JULY 1972.<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">

A. FORSON FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

FREMPONG-BOADU FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

K. A. SEKYI, PRINCIPAL 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">

SIRIBOE AND BENTSI-ENCHILL JJ.S.C. AND KINGSLEY-NYINAH
J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF NYINAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>Kingsley-Nyinah
J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. This is an appeal against convictions
by his honour Isaac Amoah, circuit judge, Takoradi, who after due trial,
sentenced each appellant herein to a term of seven years’ imprisonment with
hard labour, on 8 September 1971.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>As
against the first appellant, the indictment alleged that he had in his
“possession without lawful authority or excuse, four (4) forged N¢10 currency
notes knowing the same to be forged.” The same allegation was levelled against
the second appellant who was, however, charged with “possessing... five hundred
and forty-five (545) forged N¢10 notes knowing the same to be forged.” This
offence is contrary to section 18 (2) of the Currency Act, 1964 (Act 242).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>By two
certificates, exhibits L and M, dated 17 August 1970, and given under the hand
of the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, the prosecution established beyound
question the fact that all those currency notes the subject-matter of the
charge, were “imitations of a bank note and are not bank notes issued or deemed
to be issued by the Bank of Ghana.”<o:p></o:p>The facts
of this case not being in dispute, we do not intend setting them out at length,
except to point at such significant features so as to bring this case well
within the provisions of the Currency Act, 1964:<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) In
the course of a search by the police of house No. 73/3, Liberation Road,
Takoradi, the first appellant was found in a room.<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) That
room was admitted by the first appellant to be occupied by him and to be also
under his control, as the paying tenant.<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
search yielded a quantity of both genuine and spurious Ghana currency notes.<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">(d) The
counterfeit notes were discovered carefully hidden away under the first
appellant’s floor carpet; the genuine notes were found in a purse.<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
first appellant admitted that these faked notes belong to him. But he explained
that they had gotten into his custody and possession from a certain Nigerian
friend to whom he had sold two automatic wrist watches and, furthermore, that
he never knew those notes were forged notes.<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) In
another room occupied by the second appellant (but in a different house) the
police found in the pocket of a jumper hanging on a wall, a hospital card
bearin</main>