FRANCIS KODJO FIEBOR (APPELLANT) vs. THE REPUBLIC (RESPONDENT) [2011]DLCA7892

Date	2011-11-10
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/21/2010
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA7892

S. E. KANYOKE JA (PRESIDING)

FRANCIS KUSI APPIAH (JA)

DENNIS D. ADJEI (JA)

THOMAS HUGHES FOR THE APPELLANT

MRS. MARINA APPIAH OPARE FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2011]DLCA7892
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS KODJO
FIEBOR<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL (CRIMINAL DIVISION), 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">

CRIMINAL
APPEAL NO. H2/21/2010&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:
10TH NOVEMBER, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>THOMAS
HUGHES FOR THE APPELLANT<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">

MRS.
MARINA APPIAH OPARE FOR THE RESPONDENT<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">

S.
E. KANYOKE JA (PRESIDING), FRANCIS&nbsp;&nbsp; KUSI
APPIAH (JA), DENNIS D. ADJEI (JA)<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>DENNIS D. ADJEI (JA)<o:p></o:p>The appellant was granted leave by this Court on 23rd
November, 2009 to appeal against both conviction and sentence imposed on him by
the High Court, Ho on 16th April, 2002.&nbsp; The petition of appeal was filed by the
Appellant on 2nd December, 2009.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The historical antecedents of the case are that the
Appellant and one Noble Agbleke @ Crazy were charged with the offence of
robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Code Act 29/60 as amended by
NLCD 398 paragraph 8.&nbsp; The particulars of
offence were that on 30th November 1998 at Akanu near Dzodze in the
Volta Region, the appellant and one Noble Agbleke acted together and robbed
Mawuli Aleke of his motor bike with Registration No. TG-E 5649 valued at
GH¢100.00 and a carpet valued GH¢14.00
at gun point.&nbsp; On 6th
December, 2001 the Community Tribunal, Ho, committed the two accused persons to
stand trial at the High Court, Ho.&nbsp; The
accused persons pleaded “not guilty” to the offence of robbery at the High
Court, Ho.&nbsp; On 21st March
2002, the fact given by prosecution in Court were that on 30th
November, 1998 at about 2.00 pm, the Complainant Mawuli Aleke, a Togolese and
his sister came to Dzodze market on a motor bike with No. TG-E 5469 to buy a
floor carpet.&nbsp; At about 4.30 pm, when
they were returning to Togo through Akanu on the motor bike, the accused
persons came out from the bush with a pistol and cutlass.&nbsp; It was Noble Agbleke who was holding the
pistol and told the Complainant to stop or he would shoot him.&nbsp; The Complainant out of fear jumped from the
motor bike and took to his heels.&nbsp; The
accused persons took the motor bike away.&nbsp;
The Complainant and her sister lodge a complaint with the Police at
Dzodze.&nbsp; With the assistance of some
witnesses who later gave evidence in the case, the motor bike was found at
Lomnava.&nbsp; The 1st accused
person was identified as one of the two persons who brought the motor bike to
Lomnava and abandoned it there.&nbsp; The 1st
accused person who was then serving a two year jail sentence at Ho prison was
identified as one of the accused persons.&nbsp;
The Appellant herein was also arrested at Dzodze by the Police.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The prosecution called
five (5) witnesses and after the close of the case for the prosecution, the
trial High Court Judge ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie
case and called upon the accused persons to open their defence.&nbsp; The accused persons gave their evidence and
closed their case.&nbsp; On the 16th
day of April 2002, the jury found the accused person guilty.&nbsp; The trial High Court convicted the accused
persons and sentenced them to life imprisonment.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is only the 2nd
accused person who has appealed to this Court against both conviction and
sentence.&nbsp; The 1st accused
person did not file an appeal in this matter.&nbsp;
It is the 2nd accused person who is the appellant in this
appeal.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Appellant filed four
(4) grounds of appeal and they are as follows:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="1" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
 justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">The conviction is against the weight of evidence.<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
 justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">The sentence is harsh in the circumstance of Appellant<o:p></o:p></li>
 <li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
 justify;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">