JOHN DAVID LOGAN FRANK DAVID LAVERICK vs. THE REPUBLIC CRIMINAL [2007]DLSC2442

Date	2007-02-07
Suit No.	APPEAL NO. J3/1/2006
Citation No.	[2007]DLSC2442

S. A.B. AKUFFO (MISS) J.S.C. (PRESIDING)

BROBBEY J.S.C.

ANSAH J.S.C.

ANINAKWA J.S.C.

ADINYIRA (MRS.) J.S.C.

MR. ADDO ATTUAH FOR APPELLANTS.

MR. AGYEMANG-DUODU PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY

WITH MRS. SHELA BADU SENIOR STATE ATTONEY AND

MS. BARBARA SAKYI STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC.

[2007]DLSC2442
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JOHN DAVID LOGAN FRANK DAVID LAVERICK<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC CRIMINAL<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT]<o:p></o:p>APPEAL
NO. J3/1/2006<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: 7TH FEBRUARY 2007.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
ADDO ATTUAH FOR APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>MR.
AGYEMANG-DUODU, PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY <o:p></o:p>WITH
MRS. SHELA BADU, SENIOR STATE ATTONEY AND<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">

MS.
BARBARA SAKYI, STATE ATTORNEY, FOR THE REPUBLIC.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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">

S.
A.B. AKUFFO (MISS) J.S.C. (PRESIDING), BROBBEY J.S.C., ANSAH J.S.C., ANINAKWA
J.S.C., ADINYIRA (MRS.) &nbsp;J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;ANINAKWAH, J.S.C.<o:p></o:p>The
Appellants are both British subjects. On the 28th day of January, 2004, they
were charged jointly with four (4) others on two Counts:-<o:p></o:p>1.
Engaging in Criminal conspiracy to commit an offence relating to Narcotic Drug
contrary to Section 56(c.) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and
Sanctions) Law, P.N.D.C.L 236.<o:p></o:p>Particulars
of the offence given as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“Kevin Dinsdale Gorman, Mohammed
Kamil, John David Logan, Frank David Laverick, Allan William Hodgson and Sven
Leonhard Herb between September 2003 and 7th January 2004 in Spain, United
Kingdom and Tema Ghana engaged in Criminal conspiracy to commit an offence
relating to narcotic drug”.<o:p></o:p>2.
Possession of Narcotic Drugs without Lawful Authority contrary to Section 2 of
the Narcotic Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law, 1990, P.N.D.C.L.
236.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The particulars of this offence are given
thus:<o:p></o:p>“ Kevin Dinsdale Gorman, Mohammed
Ibrahim Kamil, John David Logan, Frank David Laverick, Allan William Hodgson
and Sven Leonhard Herb between 30th December, 2003 and 7th January, 2004 at
Tema in the Greater Accra Region and within the jurisdiction of this Tribunal
had in their possession 588.33 Kilograms of Cocaine, a Narcotic Drug”.<o:p></o:p>All
the accused persons pleaded “NOT guilty” and were remanded in custody.<o:p></o:p>After
a full trial all the accused persons were convicted and Sentenced to 20
(Twenty) years I.H.L each, sentences to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied
with their convictions and sentences, John David Logan, Frank David Laverick
and Allan William Hodgson appealed to the Court of Appeal on many and various
grounds.<o:p></o:p>On
4th November 2005, the Court of Appeal by a Majority of 2 to 1 decision
dismissed the appellants’ appeal.<o:p></o:p>Still
not satisfied, the appellants, this time – John David Logan, and Frank David
Laverick are now before this Court on appeal and praying that their convictions
be quashed and sentences set aside. Their appeal is grounded on as many as
Seven (7) Original grounds and four additional grounds with most of them
repeating themselves. For purposes of this Appeal I find ground (a) of the
original grounds and ground 4 of the additional grounds both of them saying the
same thing as&nbsp; the most&nbsp; pertinent grounds, and are hereby stated as
one hereunder.<o:p></o:p>“ That the Verdicts of both the trial
Court and the Court of Appeal are unreasonable and not supported by the
evidence on record”.<o:p></o:p>Other
grounds would be referred to in the course of this judgment as and when the
need arises.<o:p></o:p>The
nature of the charges against accused persons is such that it requires the full
knowledge of the facts in order to properly appreciate the kind of evidence
adduced to prove the same. The facts as presented by the prosecution are
therefore quoted “in extenso” hereunder.<o:p></o:p>“Following intelligence reports
received from International Sister Agencies by the Narcotic Board in Ghana
concerning Narcotic drugs the Ghana Narcotic Control mounted surveillance on
the 1st Accused for about a year ago.<o:p></o:p>The first Accused is a Director,
Shareholder and Operation Manager of Shipping Company called TUNA T-GO based in
Tema. <o:p></o:p>On 7/1/2004 acting on further
Intelligence information a combined team of the Narcotic Control Board and the
Drugs Law Enforcement Unit of the Police Service raided the residence of the
1st Accused, where it discovered bails and parcel of whitish substances suspected
to be cocaine concealed in a special compartment or hole in a wall within the
corridor upstairs behind a large dressing mirror. My&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lord, the 1st Accused together with 3rd,
4th and 5th Accused person who were in the ho</main>