TEYE ALIAS BARDJO AND OTHERS vs. THE REPUBLIC [1974]DLCA2336

Date	1974-12-20
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1974]DLCA2336

AMISSAH JA

SOWAH JA

ANIN J.A.

R. K. TAY FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.

V. L. BUCKLE FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.

ASANTE TANNOR FOR THE THIRD APPELLANT.

S. E. ASAMOAH SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC.

[1974]DLCA2336
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">TEYE ALIAS BARDJO AND OTHERS <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<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;[1974] 2 GLR 438<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:
20 DECEMBER 1974.<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">

R. K. TAY
FOR THE FIRST APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

V. L.
BUCKLE FOR THE SECOND APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

ASANTE
TANNOR FOR THE THIRD APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

S. E.
ASAMOAH, SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC.<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">

AMISSAH, SOWAH AND ANIN J.J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF SOWAH J.A.<o:p></o:p>Sowah
J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. The appellants together with two
other accused persons were indicted before the criminal session held at
Koforidua on 16 May 1973, with the offences of conspiracy to commit murder and
murder. In the result all the five accused persons were acquitted of the
conspiracy charge, and the two others, of the offence of murder. The three
appellants were convicted and accordingly sentenced to capital punishment. It
is from their convictions and sentences that the appellants have appealed to
this court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The case
of the prosecution in effect was that while Teye Kwadjo alias Bardjo (the first
appellant) Samuel Abadjie alias Red (the third appellant) and the first
prosecution witness Kwasi Madjitey alias Aku Sika were serving various
sentences in the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons, upon a suggestion by the first
appellant, a plan was hatched whereby on their discharge they would burgle the
house of the first appellant’s grandmother Koryo Wornu, the victim of this
cruel murder. The first appellant informed his partners in crime that his grandmother
was a wealthy woman and lived all by herself in a compound house at a village
known as Timesu in the Manya Krobo area. In passing it ought to be mentioned
that the first prosecution witness denies ever being a party to the criminal
conspiracy and alleges that he only overheard the discussion between Teye
Kwadjo and Samuel Abadjie alias Red. The denial is not of much consequence
since there appears to be overwhelming evidence that he took part in the
preliminary conversations and arrangements.<o:p></o:p>It appears
that the first appellant Teye Kwadjo was discharged on 20 May 1971; the first
prosecution witness on 11 August 1971 and the third appellant came out soon
thereafter. After his discharge, the third appellant began pressing the first
appellant for the execution of the plans laid out in the prisons.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Eventually
the third appellant got together three other persons to join the group.
Initially there were in the group, the first prosecution witness and the five
others who were charged, but on the tragic evening the first prosecution
witness had a change of heart and declined to go along with them, complaining
that the village of Timesu was too far from Assessewa where they were, as they
had to walk a distance of nearly five miles to the old lady’s village. The plan
agreed upon was to enter the old lady’s premises and to steal therefrom. The
party got to the village about midnight on 4 September 1971 and the third
appellant was alleged to have produced a bunch of keys and opened the lock of
the main gate. Two Members of the party were left to keep watch at the gate
while the main body entered the house.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At this
point it seems necessary to set out in full the version of the first appellant
as to the sequence of events of event of the night, for the prosecution’s case
hinged on the evidence of the first prosecution witness and the confessions of
the first appellant in his statement and the evidence in court which in
substance was not unlike the confession. The seco</main>