BREMPONG II vs. THE REPUBLIC [1995]DLCA544

Date	1995-12-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1995]DLCA544

AMUAH JSC

FORSTER JA

BENIN JA

ASARE BEDIAKO FOR THE APPELLANT.

BARBARA ACQUAH (MRS) FOR THE REPUBLIC.

[1995]DLCA544
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">BREMPONG II<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1995-96] 1 GLR 350<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 21
DECEMBER 1995<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ASARE BEDIAKO FOR THE APPELLANT.<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">

BARBARA ACQUAH (MRS) FOR THE
REPUBLIC. <o:p></o:p>

AMUAH JSC, FORSTER AND BENIN
JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF BENIN JA<o:p></o:p>delivered the first judgment at the invitation of Amuah JSC. The
accused, now the appellant, was arraigned before the Ashanti Regional Public
Tribunal on a charge of stealing under section 124(1) of the Criminal Code,
1960 (Act 29). The particulars of offence read:<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">“Nana Owusu Achiaw Brempong II, Omanhene, during the year 1980 at
Atebubu in the Brong Ahafo Region and within the jurisdiction of this tribunal,
did steal one Mercedes Benz car No GK 1990 value ¢3 million the property of the
Atebubu Traditional Council.”<o:p></o:p>There was a second accused who was charged with abetment but the
facts were found not to support the charge and he was thus acquitted and
discharged.<o:p></o:p>The prosecution led evidence to establish that the car belonged to
the Atebubu Traditional Council (hereinafter called the council) and was
assigned to the occupant of the paramount stool for his use. That sometime in
1980 the appellant took this car to Kumasi from Atebubu and this was the last
time the car was seen at Atebubu. Investigations disclosed that the accused had
sold the car without the authorisation of the council. Hence the charge.<o:p></o:p>The accused denied the charge saying he never sold the car. He
recounted events which even led the council to appoint a committee to go to
Kumasi to see the car and their report was that it was a scrap. That this was
the work of people who were bent on destooling him as Omanhene. Details of
these facts will soon be unfolded.<o:p></o:p>But at the end of the trial, the prosecution was found to have
established its case beyond reasonable doubt and therefore the tribunal
convicted the accused and sentenced him to pay a fine of ¢200,000 or in default
to serve four years’ imprisonment with hard labour.<o:p></o:p>The appellant appealed against both the conviction and sentence on
the following grounds:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1). “The judgment is unsupportable
and unreasonable having regard to the issue. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2). The judgment is against the
weight of the evidence and is therefore bad in law. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(3). The sentence is too harsh and
unconscionable having regard to the nature of the case. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(4).