REPUBLIC vs. ACCRA CIRCUIT COURT; EX PARTE APPIAH [1981]DLCA2200

Date	1981-05-06
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1981]DLCA2200

FRANCOIS JA

MENSA BOISON J.A

KORSAH J.

E. D. KOM (GBEHO WITH HIM) FOR THE APPELLANT.

A. L. DJABATEY DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL (C.H.A. TETTEY SOLICITOR-GENERAL JOYCE ASIEDU AND PERPETUAL

TUFFOUR WITH HIM) FOR THE REPUBLIC

[1981]DLCA2200
																																						<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" >REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>ACCRA CIRCUIT COURT; EX PARTE APPIAH <o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1982-83] GLR 129<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:
6 MAY 1981<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">

E. D. KOM (GBEHO WITH HIM) FOR THE APPELLANT. <o:p></o:p>

A. L. DJABATEY, DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL (C.H.A.
TETTEY, SOLICITOR-GENERAL, JOYCE ASIEDU AND PERPETUAL <o:p></o:p>

TUFFOUR WITH HIM) 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">

FRANCOIS, MENSA BOISON JJ.A. AND KORSAH
J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF FRANCOIS J.A.<o:p></o:p>This
appeal from the refusal of Anterkyi J. to quash by certiorari, a ruling of an
Accra Circuit Court, raises very narrow but important issues on the Evidence
Decree, 1975 (NRCD 323).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
special prosecutor of the special tribunal stood trial at the circuit court on
charges of extortion. It was part of the prosecution’s case that certain
persons appearing before the special tribunal had been induced to part with
sums of money which had gone to swell the accused’s bank account at Barclays
Bank International, Cockspur Street, London. Proof was attempted by tendering
in evidence five original documents, namely.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1) Two
Barclays Bank International, London, cheques for £100 each, numbered
respectively 156773 and 156774.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2) Giro
paying-in-slip dated 12 December 1979 for £1,000.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(3) Giro paying-in-slip
dated 11 January 1980 for £10,000.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(4) A
bank statement No. 1980/1.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
tender was resisted and this led to a legal wrangle proceeding from the circuit
court, through the High Court to this court. It is anybody’s guess whether its
force is yet spent.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
thrust of the appellant’s protest was that the prosecution witness who tendered
the documents was neither a bank official nor was he connected in any way with
the issue of the said documents. As an investigator of crime, he had merely
discovered the documents on his desk as a routine incident in the process of
investigations. The crux of the contest therefore was whether the witness in
those circumstances could validly tender the documents without offending NRCD
323.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Before
the circuit court, a lengthy legal argument was advanced by the appellant to
demonstrate the error of such a course; the contrary view was pressed with
equal enthusiasm by the prosecution. Some sympathy must be expressed for the
circuit judge who was inundated by the plethora of legal learning. He chose a
course which might have appeared wise to him by being as non-committal in his
view of the law as he could, but this only served to fuel the flames of further
complaint.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In a very
pithy ruling, he decided to admit the documents</main>