REPUBLIC vs. SELORMEY [2001]DLHC1255

Date	2001-12-10
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2001]DLHC1255

BADDOO JA

OSAFO SAMPONG DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS (LED BY GLORIA AKUFFO DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL WITH THEM A GYAMBIBY PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC.

BARIMA MANU (LED BY QUASHIE-IDUN AND KWAKU BAAH) FOR THE ACCUSED.

[2001]DLHC1255
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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">REPUBLIC<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">SELORMEY<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
2 GLR 424<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: 10 DECEMBER 2001<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>OSAFO
SAMPONG, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS (LED BY GLORIA AKUFFO, DEPUTY
ATTORNEY-GENERAL WITH THEM A GYAMBIBY, 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">

BARIMA
MANU (LED BY QUASHIE-IDUN AND KWAKU BAAH) FOR THE ACCUSED. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Baddoo JA. <o:p></o:p>The
accused person, Victor Selormey, a former Deputy Minister of Finance, has been
charged with two counts of fraud by false pretences, two counts of conspiracy
to cause financial loss to the State and two counts of causing financial loss
to the state. He has pleaded not guilty to all the six counts.<o:p></o:p>In
all criminal proceedings in this Republic it is the responsibility and the duty
of the prosecution to prove the charges against the accused person beyond
reasonable doubt. But what is reasonable doubt? Several definitions have been
given by eminent jurists. But I prefer to quote the definition given by Chief
Justice Shaw in 1850, during the trial of Prof Webster of Harvard University,
for the murder of Dr Parkman in Commonwealth v Webster, 59 Mass (5 Cush) 295 at
320 (1850). He said:<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">“It
is the condition of mind which exists, when the jurors cannot say that they
feel an abiding conviction, a moral certainty of the truth of the charge. For
it is not sufficient for the Prosecutor to establish a probability, even though
a strong one according to the doctrine of chances; he must establish the fact
to a moral certainty; a certainty that convinces the understanding, satisfies
the reason and directs the judgment. But were the law to go further than this,
and require absolute certainty, it would exclude circumstantial evidence
altogether.”<o:p></o:p>Another
eminent jurist, Chief Justice Kendal Bushe also had this to say about
reasonable doubt:<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">“To
warrant an acquittal, the doubt must not be light or capricious, such as
timidity or passion prompts, and weakness or corruption readily adopts. It must
be such a doubt as upon a calm view of the whole evidence a rational understanding
will suggest to a honest heart the conscientious hesitation of minds that are
not influenced by party, preoccupied by prejudice, or subdued by fear.”<o:p></o:p>This
is the standard of proof required in our criminal judicial system and this is
the standard of proof that will be applied in this case.<o:p></o:p>The
charge of fraud by false pretences is founded on section 131 of the Criminal
Code, 1960 (Act 29) as follows:</main>