THE REPUBLIC vs. G/L/CPL EKOW RUSSEL [2009]DLHC7812

Date	2009-05-15
Suit No.	SUIT NO.: AC18/2007
Citation No.	[2009]DLHC7812

JUSTICE C. J. HONYENUGA J.A. SITTING AS AN ADDITIONAL HIGH COURT JUDGE

[2009]DLHC7812
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>G/L/CPL EKOW RUSSEL<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT (FAST TRACK), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO.:&nbsp; AC18/2007&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
15TH MAY, 2009<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

JUSTICE
C. J. HONYENUGA J.A. SITTING AS AN ADDITIONAL HIGH COURT JUDGE<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>The accused and Maxwell Antwi were charged together
with possession of Narcotic Drugs without Lawful authority, Supply of Narcotic
drug, and Prohibited business relating to Narcotic Drugs all contrary to the Narcotic
Drugs (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law, PNDCL 236.<o:p></o:p>The accused pleaded Not Guilty but Maxwell Antwi
pleaded Guilty and was convicted and sentenced to 10 years I.H.L.<o:p></o:p>Hearing commenced and the Prosecution called six
witnesses.&nbsp; On the 29th October
2008, the Police Investigator, Chief Inspector Michael Happy Addae testified
and when he sought to tender the caution statements of the accused dated the 28th
March 2007, 14th April 2007 and that of 26th April 2007,
Counsel for the accused objected to their tendering on the following grounds:-<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That
the accused was not allowed to write his statement.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
statements were not made voluntarily.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
statements were not made in the presence of independent witness.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
accused signed the statements from a promise held out to him by the Police
Investigator.<o:p></o:p>The Chief State Attorney replied that the
statements were properly taken.&nbsp;
Thereafter, I ordered a voire dire or mini trial to ascertain whether
the statements conformed to the statutory provisions in section 120 of the
Evidence Decree, 1975, NRCD 323.<o:p></o:p>At the Mini trial, the prosecution called two
witnesses, Chief Inspector Michael Happy Addae, the Investigator and Cpl.
Christopher Afful.&nbsp; The accused testified
in his defence but called no witnesses.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Before I proceed to consider the various arguments
put forth and against the admission of the said statements, it is noted that in
his address, Counsel for the accused Capt. (Rtd.) Hon. Effah Dartey honourable
as he is, conceded that since the 14th April 2007 statement was not
a confession statement and there were no admissions thereto, that statement
should be admitted into evidence.&nbsp; That
meant that he had abandoned his objection.&nbsp;
In the circumstances I would not hesitate to admit the statement of 14th
April 2007 into evidence and should be appropriately marked.<o:p></o:p>Moreover, Mr. Agyeman Duodu, the Chief State
Attorney who filed his written address earlier on had also conceded that the 14th
April 2007 statement should be admitted into evidence.&nbsp; Mr. Agyeman Duodu further conceded that the
26th April 2007 caution statement of the accused should not be
admitted into evidence since it was a confession statement and there was no
independent witness present when it was taken.&nbsp;
The objection is therefore upheld.&nbsp;
Consequently, the caution statement of 26th April 2007 is
hereby rejected and should be appropri</main>