EMMANUEL AGBO KWASHIE AND SOLOMON SAWA vs. THE REPUBLIC [1998]DLSC6163

Date	1998-07-14
Suit No.	CRIMINAL MOTION NO. 2/98
Citation No.	[1998]DLSC6163

MRS. BAMFORD-ADDO J.S.C. (PRESIDING)

HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.S.C.

ADJABENG J.S.C.

ATUGUBA J.S.C.

MS. AKUFFO J.S.C.

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL ABSENT.

APPLICANTS PRESENT IN PERSON

[1998]DLSC6163
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL
AGBO KWASHIE AND SOLOMON SAWA<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CRIMINAL MOTION NO. 2/98&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 14TH JULY, 1998<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

THE
ATTORNEY-GENERAL ABSENT. <o:p></o:p>

APPLICANTS
PRESENT IN PERSON. <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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MRS.
BAMFORD-ADDO J.S.C. (PRESIDING), HAYFRON-BENJAMIN J.S.C., ADJABENG J.S.C.,
ATUGUBA J.S.C., MS. AKUFFO J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:
none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MRS J. BAMFORD-ADDO, J.S.C. <o:p></o:p>The
Appellants herein are in effect praying this court for a grant to them of the
right of Appeal to enable them to appeal their conviction and sentence of Death
for Robbery Contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29). <o:p></o:p>They
were tried and convicted by the Ashanti Regional Public Tribunal Kumasi on the
4th March 1991 but failed to appeal to the National Appeal Tribunal until after
the 1992 Constitution. On January 12th 1998 they appealed to the Court of
Appeal which dismissed their appeal for lack of jurisdiction relying on the
Supreme Court case of The People v. Sarpong and others No. 2/93 dated 28/6/93
S.C. unreported. <o:p></o:p>Under
Section 7 (3) of the Transitional Provisions of the 1992 Constitution cases
partly heard before the National Tribunal shall be continued and completed
before that Tribunal after which the Tribunal shall cease to exist either on
completion of the hearing or within six months after the coming into force of
1992 Constitution which ever is earlier. In this case there was no pending case
before the National Public Tribunal as the Appellants failed to appeal, until
the Tribunal ceased to exist. <o:p></o:p>They
have now applied to us to grant them a right of Appeal but since the right of
appeal is a statutory right given by legislation this court has no power to
grant their request and their application is therefore dismissed in respect of
the request for a right of Appeal. <o:p></o:p>There
is no doubt that the Regional Tribunal has jurisdiction to try the offence of
Robbery see S.4(c) of PNDCL 78. However we have considered the legality of the
sentence of Death imposed on Appellants. Under Section 16(1) of PNDCL 78 <o:p></o:p>“16
(1) Subject to (7) of this section the death penalty may be imposed by a Public
Tribunal for such offences as may be specified in writing by the council and in
respect of cases where the Tribunal is satisfied that very grave circumstances
meriting such a penalty have been revealed.” <o:p></o:p>Section
16(5) also provides that: <o:p></o:p>“S.
16(5) where a Public Tribunal determines that an offence triable under this law
is subject to specified penalties under a pre-existing law at the time of its
commission the Tribunal may in its discretion apply such penalties in
appropriate cases in so far as such application is consistent with the terms,
effect and purposes of this law.” <o:p></o:p>In
this case the trial Tribunal should have specified the reasons why the
Appellants merited the death sentence rather than the sentence applicable to
Robbery under Section 149 of the Criminal substitute a fixed sentence of 15
years imprisonment with Hard Labour on Appellants. Accordingly in place of the
Death sentence the Appellants are sentenced to 15 years imprisonment with Hard
Labour with effect from the date of their original conviction. <o:p></o:p>ATUGUBA, J.S.C.: <o:p></o:p>The
applicants apply to this Court for what would seem to be an extension of time
within which to appeal </main>