G/CPL VALENTINO GLIGAH AND EC/1 ABDULAI AZIZ ATISO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2010]DLSC4149

Date	2010-05-06
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. J3/4/2009
Citation No.	[2010]DLSC4149

BROBBEY JSC (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

AHUMAH OCANSEY FOR THE APPELLANT.

ANTHONY REXFORD WIREDU (P.S.A) FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

[2010]DLSC4149
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >G/CPL VALENTINO GLIGAH AND EC/1 ABDULAI AZIZ ATISO<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. J3/4/2009&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: 6TH
MAY, 2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AHUMAH OCANSEY FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ANTHONY
REXFORD WIREDU (P.S.A) FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL <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;
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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">BROBBEY JSC (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, AND
BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC<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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>DOTSE, JSC<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>The brief facts of this case are that, the
accused/appellants, hereafter referred to as accused had been charged with the
offence of Rape, tried and convicted by a Court with jury and sentenced to 15
years imprisonment each, with hard labour on the 18th day of July,
2003 by Avril Anin-Yeboah J (Mrs).<o:p></o:p>On the 13th day of November 2008, an
appeal against the conviction and sentence of the accused persons was
unanimously dismissed by the Court of Appeal. It is against this Court of
Appeal decision that the accused persons have appealed to this Court on the 11th
day of December 2008.<o:p></o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court failed to consider and analyse the defence of the appellant &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; which shows the improbability of the
alleged act of rape, given the &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; circumstances
of the deed.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court failed to appreciate the absence of a material witness of the &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; prosecuton as being fatal to the proof of
the alleged rape beyond &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; reasonable
doubts.<o:p></o:p>FACTS:<o:p></o:p>As stated supra, the accused persons were arraigned
before the trial High Court on a charge of rape.<o:p></o:p>The statement and particulars of the offence,
which are identical and similar read as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “Rape contrary to
section 97 of the Criminal and other offences Act, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1960, &nbsp; Act 29 as
amended by Act 458. (1993)”.<o:p></o:p>PARTICULARS<o:p></o:p>The two accused persons who at all material times
were policemen were alleged on or about 22nd day of June, 1998 at
Accra in the Greater Accra Region and within the jurisdiction of the Court to
have had carnal knowledge of Cynthia Nyante a female without her consent.<o:p></o:p>CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION<o:p></o:p>The case for the Prosecution was presented mainly
by the victim of the Rape, Cynthia Nyante, PW1 and supported largely by the
evidence of the </main>