THE REPUBLIC vs. CONSTABLE FEDELIX KWAME YEBI AND CORPORAL ANTHONY KWESI AVALIFO [2000]DLSC2360

Date	2000-04-12
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2000]DLSC2360

Ampiah J.S.C. (Presiding)

Kpegah J.S.C.

Adjabeng J.S.C

Acquah J.S.C

Ms. Akuffo J.S.C

MR. ANTHONY GYAMBIBY PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC

MR. EFAH DATEH FOR ACCUSED.

[2000]DLSC2360
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CONSTABLE FEDELIX KWAME YEBI AND CORPORAL ANTHONY KWESI
AVALIFO<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT]<o:p></o:p>Ref. No.<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: 12th April,
2000.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>MR. ANTHONY GYAMBIBY,&nbsp; PRINCIPAL
STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC.<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">

</div>CORAM:&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">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
text-align:justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Ampiah, J.S.C. (Presiding), Kpegah, J.S.C., Adjabeng, J.S.C., Acquah,
J.S.C., Ms. Akuffo,
J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>RULING<o:p></o:p>ACQUAH, J.S.C: <o:p></o:p>On&nbsp; 15th July,&nbsp; 1997, Constable Yebbi and
Cpl. Avalifo were arraigned before the Greater Accra Regional Tribunal on
charges of conspiracy to steal and stealing ¢100,000,000.00 contrary to section
23(1) and 124(1)&nbsp; respectively of the Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29). The
money is said to belong to the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a political
party registered under the Political Parties Registration Law 1992, (PNDCL
281).<o:p></o:p>In the course of the trial the accused challenged
the jurisdiction of the tribunal. They pointed out that under Article 143(1) of
the 1992 Constitution, a regional tribunal has jurisdiction to try such
offences against the state and public interest as Parliament may by law
prescribe. But the offences they were facing could not be said to be against
the state or public interest since the money involved was admitted to belong to
a political party which obviously is not a state institution, neither is the
theft of a political party's money, an offence against public interest. A
Regional Tribunal can therefore not try such an offence.<o:p></o:p>The prosecution sought to resist the objection by
contending that once Parliament has exercised its discretion by enacting in the
Court's Act 1993 (Act 459) section 24(1) thereof, that a regional tribunal has
jurisdiction in all criminal matters, it follows that the tribunal was seised
with jurisdiction in the matter.<o:p></o:p>But the accused in reply submitted that section
24(1) of Act 459 is not consistent with Article 143(1) of the 1992 Constitution
and consequently null and void. They supported their contention with the Court
of Appeal's decision in CA 16/97: Jonathan Dey vrs. The Republic 12th February
1998 (unreported).<o:p></o:p>The trial Regional Tribunal accordingly referred
the following issues to this court under Article 130(2) of the 1992
Constitution:<o:p></o:p>i. Whether on a true and proper
interpretation of Article 143(1) Parliament had power to provide that a Regional
Tribunal had jurisdiction in all criminal matters.<o:p></o:p>ii. Whether section 24(1) of the
Court's Act 1993 (Act 459) is inconsistent with the said Article 143(1) of the
1992 Constitution and to the extent of such inconsistency void;<o:p></o:p</main>