OWUSU vs. THE REPUBLIC [1973]DLHC2406

Date	1973-05-23
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1973]DLHC2406

ANTERKYI J.

DR. I. L. OHENE-DJAN FOR THE APPELLANT.

KALEO-BIOH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1973]DLHC2406
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OWUSU<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
SUNYANI]<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]
1 GLR 230<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:
23 MAY 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">

DR. I. L. OHENE-DJAN FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

KALEO-BIOH, 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">

ANTERKYI J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ANTERKYI J.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant was convicted by the District Magistrate Grade I, Mr. J. B. K.
Yemidi, sitting at Sunyani in August 1970, on four charges of forgery of bank
pay-in-slips and four corresponding charges of stealing the respective amounts
involved. Upon conviction, the appellant was sentenced as follows:<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">“On count
one: ¢50 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
two: ¢50 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour.<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">On count
three: ¢40 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
four: ¢40 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
five: ¢50 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
six: ¢80 or six months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
seven: ¢50 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">On count
eight: ¢50 or three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. <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">Sentences
concurrent. Exhibits to the complainant.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The story
of the prosecution was that the appellant, at the material times, was a revenue
collector of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation at Sunyani, being responsible
for the collection of fees or charges in connection with radio re-diffusion
boxes. It was his duty to pay all revenue thus collected on behalf of the
corporation and to pay to the government chest through the Sunyani branch of
the Ghana Commercial Bank. After the appellant’s accounts had been checked by
the second prosecution witness (Joseph Yaw Dwobeng) whilst he was stationed at
Accra as an assistant accountant of the corporation, and he had “discovered
that the bank statements did not tally with the duplicate copies of the
remittance accounts,” he reported the matter to the head of the department.
Following this report the first prosecution witness (Isaac Ernest Arhin), the
corporation’s technical superintendent stationed at Sunyani, received
instructions from the head office that he should report the appellant to the
police; and he did so when, according to him, “I checked the accused’s bank
pay-in-slips and bank statements and I discovered that there were forgeries and
alterations in the figures.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>