ISA vs. THE REPUBLIC [2003]DLSC989

Date	2003-04-02
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2003]DLSC989

EDWARD WIREDU CJ JSC

ACQUAH JSC

AKUFFO JSC

AFREH JSC

TWUM JSC

AMBROSE DERY FOR THE APPELLANT.

ANTHONY GYAMBIBY PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC.

[2003]DLSC989
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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">ISA<o:p></o:p><a name="_gjdgxs"></a><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">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2003-2005] 1 GLR 792<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" 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: 2 April 2003<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>AMBROSE
DERY FOR THE APPELLANT.<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">

ANTHONY
GYAMBIBY, PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC. <o:p></o:p>

&nbsp;EDWARD WIREDU CJ, ACQUAH, AKUFFO, AFREH AND
TWUM JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Akuffo JSC
delivered the judgment of the court. The appellant was appointed the Minister
of Youth and Sports. Soon after his appointment, it was decided that the
national football team, the Black Stars, should participate in the Fifa World
Cup Football qualifying matches to be held in Sudan on 25 February 2001. On 23
February 2001 the appellant travelled in his official capacity by air to Sudan
for the matches. He was entrusted with, inter alia, cash in the sum of
US$46,000. The amount was to be used for payment of winning bonuses and imprest
for players and officials. The appellant alleged that he had packed,
preparatory to his travelling, the sum of US$46,000 into his travelling
suitcase. However, on arrival of the suitcase at the airport in Sudan, he
discovered that it did not contain the amount. The appellant was unable to
reasonably account for the missing money. Consequently, the appellant was
charged before the Fast Track High Court, Accra on two counts of stealing and
fraudulently causing financial loss of US$46,000 to the State, contrary to
sections 124(1) and 179A(3)(a), respectively of the Criminal Code, 1960 (Act
29), as amended by the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 1993 (Act 458). He
pleaded not guilty to the two charges. He was, however, after trial, found
guilty and convicted of the charges. The Fast Track High Court sentenced him to
serve four years in jail on each count plus a fine of ¢10 million or in default
twelve months in jail on count two. Additionally, the appellant was ordered to
refund the amount of US$46,000 or, in default, serve an additional jail term of
two years. All the sentences were to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant appealed to the Court of Appeal against both the conviction and the
sentences. On 23 October 2001 the Court of Appeal gave judgment upholding the
conviction and, therefore, dismissed the appeal: see Isa v The Republic
[2001-2002] 2 GLR 298, CA. However, the court varied the sentences by quashing
the two years’ jail sentence imposed in default of making the refund ordered by
the High Court.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant by his appeal herein challenges the Court of Appeal’s confirmation of
the conviction and the remaining sentences. The notice of appeal sets out nine
grounds of appeal, which may be summed up as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
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border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1).
the confirmation of the
conviction of the appellant on the two counts cannot be supported by the
evidence;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2).
the Court of Appeal erred when
it failed to evaluate the evidence in accordance with the law regarding
circumstantial evidence;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.5in;mso-add-space:auto;
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