TETTEH vs. THE REPUBLIC [2002]DLSC1272

Date	2002-04-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2002]DLSC1272

AMPIAH JSC

KPEGAH JSC

ACQUAH JSC

ATUGUBA JSC

ADZOE JSC

KOKA FOR THE APPELLANT.

GROUP CAPTAIN OBENG NTIM FOR THE RESPONDENT.

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2002]DLSC1272</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><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"><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">TETTEH<o:p></o:p></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"><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></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"><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></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:center 3.25in;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;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;">[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:10.0pt;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;">[2001-2002]
1 GLR 200<o:p></o:p></span></b></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;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
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;">Date: <b>11 APRIL 2002</b></span><b><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;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><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;">GROUP
CAPTAIN OBENG NTIM FOR THE RESPONDENT.<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><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;">AMPIAH,
KPEGAH, ACQUAH, ATUGUBA AND ADZOE JJSC<b><o:p></o:p></b></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: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;">Adzoe JSC</span></b><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;">.
Delivered the judgment of the court. The complainant in this case was an
officer in the Ghana Armed Forces. He was the Provost Marshal. His duties
touched on security and discipline within the armed forces. The appellant, on
the other hand, was a corporal. He had had 19 years of military service to his
credit.<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: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;">On
the night of 19 November 1996 the appellant was alleged to have done something
very strange. The appellant who was then living in barracks in the Burma Camp
in Accra had earlier in the day left the barracks to town. He spent much time
in town. At the time he was driving back to the barracks at about 11.30 pm the
Provost Marshal was also driving into the Burma Camp. According to the
prosecution, the Provost Marshal stopped at the Burma Camp traffic light
because the red light was on, meaning all vehicles must stop. But as he waited,
a car from behind drove past him, ignoring the red signal. When the green light
came on, the Provost Marshal decided to find out the person who drove through
the red light. He therefore followed the other car and found it parked near a
house. The owner came out and was about to enter his room when the Provost
Marshal walked up to him and, recognising the appellant, the Provost Marshal
asked why he drove through the red traffic light. The appellant said the red
light was not on. The denial surprised the complainant and he asked for the
appellant’s identity card. According to the prosecution the appellant produced
the card; but when he realised that the complainant intended to keep the card
and also lodge a complaint against him he decided to collect back his card.
During the struggle he was alleged to have hit the complainant in the face with
a blow. The complainant fell down and the appellant sat over him and rained
blows on him. Some people who were around the scene went to the rescue of the
complainant. When freed, the complainant rushed to the military police and
reported the incident. Men were sent to arrest the appellant but the appellant
was combative and engaged them in a fight. It took a three-man reinforcement to
overpower the appellant and confine him to cells. He was later charged with the
typically military offences of (1) striking a superior officer; (2) use of
violence against a superior officer; and (3) conduct prejudicial to good order
and discipline. The appellant denied the offences.<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: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;">His
defence was that he was returning from town to the barracks that night when he
realised that another car was following him. When he was checked at the traffic
light and allowed to go, he realised that the car was still following him, and
when he stopped in front of his room and was about to enter the man caught up
with him and asked for his identify card. He did not know who the man was. It
was dark and he could not identify the man, not even by his voice. He showed
the card to the man and the man pounced on him and started struggling with him
to collect the card. In the process, the two of them fell down. Then some
neighbours came and separated them. Later, some military policemen came to arrest
him. He called two witnesses including his wife who can properly be described
as an eyewitness. The wife’s evidence suggested that the struggle between the
two men began when the complainant held the appellant’s “trousers and held the
shirt at his chest.” She said she shouted and one Staff Sergeant Otu came; but
before Otu arrived the appellant “was trying to release himself from the grips
of the man and they all fell.” Staff Sergeant Otu was the next witness. He told
the court that he was asleep when he heard an unusual noise and when he rushed
out he “saw two men holding each other. I went there and separated them.”<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: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;">The
court itself called one witness who happened to be the wife of the complainant.
She was in the car with the complainant and could also be properly described as
an eyewitness. Her evidence was that when she and the complainant got to the
appellant’s house the complainant came out of the car but she remained inside.
The appellant’s car had parked right in front of the building. According to her
when the complainant got there,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-</main>