THE REPUBLIC vs. EDWARD ACHEAMPONG [2011]DLCA3713

Date	2011-01-25
Suit No.	NO. H1/2/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA3713

MARIAMA OWUSU (MISS) J.A. (PRESIDING

F.G. KORBIEH J.A.

IRENE C. DANQUAH (MS.) J.A.

EMMANUEL LAWRENCE OTOO BOISON ESQ. COUNCEL FOR APPELLANT

[2011]DLCA3713
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EDWARD ACHEAMPONG<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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NO.
H1/2/2011&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;&nbsp;DATE: 25TH
FEBRUARY, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&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; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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EMMANUEL
LAWRENCE OTOO BOISON ESQ. COUNCEL FOR APPELLANT<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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MARIAMA
OWUSU (MISS), J.A. (PRESIDING), F.G. KORBIEH, J.A. AND IRENE C. DANQUAH (MS.),
J.A.<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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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>IRENE C. DANQUAH<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This appeal is against the decision
of the High court, Kumasi delivered on the 9th April, 2010.&nbsp; The appeal was filed by the State.&nbsp; The sole ground of appeal is that the
sentence passed by the trial court is lenient and wrong and do not commensurate
to the GRAVITY and the antecedent of the case.&nbsp;
The Respondent was charged with the following offences:<o:p></o:p>Count One and Two:&nbsp;
Forgery of documents contrary to Section 159 of Act 29 of 1960.<o:p></o:p>Count Three:&nbsp;
Making a false Statutory Declaration contrary to Section 5 of Act 389 of
1971.<o:p></o:p>Count Four:&nbsp;
Fraudulent breach of trust contrary to section 129 of Act 29 of 1960.<o:p></o:p>Count five:&nbsp;
Defrauding by false pretences contrary to Section 131 of Act 29 of 1960
as amended by NLCD 398 paragraph 5.<o:p></o:p>In the course of the trial, the
prosecution called five witnesses and the Respondent also called three
witnesses.&nbsp; On 9th April 2009,
the trial judge delivered his judgment against which the State has mounted this
appeal.&nbsp; Since the proceedings for the
day is very short, I deem it pertinent to reproduce it in its entirety as
follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “By
court&nbsp; I do find the accused person
guilty of the <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; following offences:&nbsp; Two counts of forgery of <o:p></o:p>documents contrary to Section 159 of
Act 29, one count<o:p></o:p>of false Statutory Declaration
contrary to Section 5 of Act <o:p></o:p>29, one count of fraudulent breach
of trust contrary to<o:p></o:p>Section 129 of act 29 and one count
of defrauding by <o:p></o:p>false pretences contrary to Section
131 of act 29.&nbsp; He<o:p></o:p>was accordingly convicted.”<o:p></o:p>By Counsel for Accused:&nbsp;
We do humbly ask for mitigation of sentence on all the counts.<o:p></o:p>By Prosecution:&nbsp;
We do not know of any previous conviction of the accused.&nbsp; But he was a senior police office who should
know the implications of his acts.&nbsp; We ask
that he is given a sentence which will be deterrent enough to others.<o:p></o:p>By court:&nbsp;
The accused and the complainant are uterine brothers and it is my
intention to promote reconciliation between them.&nbsp; I therefore take a lenient view and order the
accused to enter into a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for
twenty-four (24) months or in default twelve (12) months with hard labour.”<o:p></o:p>The facts of the case are that the
complainant and the accused person are siblings.&nbsp; The complainant a Medical Doctor but at the
time of the action a pastor is domiciled in the United States of America.&nbsp; The accused person was an Ex-Policeman and a
farmer resident in Kumasi.&nbsp; Sometime in
September, 1990 the complainant purchased two building plots at Tanoso, Ku</main>