[1999]DLSC118 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">BONSU ALIAS BENJILLO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[1999-2000] 1 GLR 199<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black .5pt;padding:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black .5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Date: <b>22 DECEMBER 1999</b><o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">COUNSEL</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; font-size: 12pt;">PETER ALA ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANT.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; font-size: 12pt;">OSAFO SAMPONG, CHIEF SATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; font-size: 12pt;">_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CORAM</span></b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; font-size: 12pt;">BAMFORD-ADDO, AMPIAH, KPEGAH, ATUGUBA AND SAPONG JJSC</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; font-size: 12pt;">_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center; mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt; mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT OF BAMFORD-ADDO JSC.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">This appeal arose out of the case of Sylvester Chuka Osunoh and four others including appellant who was 2” Accused in the case, The charge sheet contains three Counts but the Count in respect of which appeal has been brought relates to Count 3 and reads as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">“Count Three <o:p></o:p></span></i></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Statement of Offence Possessing <o:p></o:p></span></i></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Narcotic drug contrary to section 2(1) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control Enforcement and Sanction) Law 1990 (PNDCL 236) <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt; margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:307.5pt; border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Particulars of Offence <o:p></o:p></span></i></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"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Sylvester Chuka Osunoh, George Bonsu alias Benjillo, Henry Akoto, Gordon Amartey and Alexander Osunoh on 27 March 1996 at Accra in the Greater Accra Circuit of the Republic of Ghana and within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal did have in your possession 417.0670 grammes of heroin a narcotic drug, without lawful authority.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The facts are that on 27 of March 1996 Gordon Amartey, the fourth accused in the case and an administrative officer of the General Post Office, Accra collected an EMS parcel addressed to one Idrissu Mohammed from the post office. Upon collection of the parcel he took it to an office and put it in a disused fridge and he was later arrested by the Narcotics Control Board and the Customs Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) officials who had mounted surveillance on him. When he was arrested he retrieved the parcel and led the officers to the office of the third accused, Akoto, to whom he handed it over the parcel. Akoto upon receipt of same also handed it to a stationary dealer in front of the office and the boy at once put it in a box near him and closed it. Akoto was also arrested and when questioned as to who owned the parcel, he led them to the second accused’s shop and handed the parcel to the second accused who took possession of it. Upon interrogation, the second accused in turn claimed that it belonged to one Mohammed who asked him to receive it from the third accused and to keep it until it was collected from him by the first accused, a Nigerian. He took the officers to a hotel in Accra where he claimed the first accused was lodging but the latter was not met. They then all returned to the second accused’s store where the first and fifth accused persons, both Nigerians, were met waiting, and the second accused handed over the parcel to first accused.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow: yes"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">All the five accused persons were arrested and taken to the Narcotic Board’s office where the parcel was opened and was found to contain two books whose hard covers were packed with some substance later found to be heroin. Whereupon the five persons were charged with the three counts of the following offences: Abetment of crime, to wit unlawful importation of narcotic drug contrary to section 5(c) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law, 1996 (PNDCL 236); unlawful importation of drugs contrary to section 1 (1) of PNDCL 236; and possessing narcotic drug contrary to section 2(1) of PNDCL 236. They were first put before the Greater Accra Circuit Tribunal but later the case was transferred to the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal for trial. All the five accused persons were tried together, but the first and fifth accused who had by then absconded were tried in absentia, and they were convicted and sentenced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagin