AKWASI OSEI ADJEI & ANOTHER (APPELLANTS) vs. THE REPUBLIC (RESPONDENT) [2012]DLCA7880

Date	2012-04-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CRIM. APP. No. H2/50/2011
Citation No.	[2012]DLCA7880

MARIAMA OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING)

YAW APPAU J.A.

DZAMEFE J.A.

MR. GODFRED YEBOAH DAME LED BY COL. ALEX JOHNSON (RTD) FOR THE APPELLANTS

MR. GYAMBIBY (CSA) WITH HIM MR. DOMINIC BAKOMA (ASA) FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2012]DLCA7880
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AKWASI OSEI
ADJEI &amp; ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, 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: CRIM. APP. No. H2/50/2011&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;DATE:
19TH APRIL, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
GODFRED YEBOAH DAME LED BY COL. ALEX JOHNSON (RTD) FOR THE APPELLANTS<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">

MR.
GYAMBIBY (CSA) WITH HIM MR. DOMINIC BAKOMA (ASA) 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">

MARIAMA
OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING), YAW APPAU J.A., DZAMEFE 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;
padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 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 0cm 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>YAW
APPAU, J.A.<o:p></o:p>The first appellant herein was
the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD during the
latter part of the Kuffuor administration while the 2nd appellant was
the then Managing Director of the National Investment Bank Limited (NIB). On
the 14th day of October 2009, the two of them were arraigned before
the trial High Court&nbsp; on four counts of
conspiracy charges and four counts of substantive charges all totaling eight
(8); &nbsp;contrary to provisions in the
Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29]
and then the Public Procurement Act, 2003 [Act
663]. <o:p></o:p>They
were said to have conspired contrary to section 23 (1) of Act 29/60 to commit
the crimes of: - i. Contravention of
sections 92, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 [Act 663]; ii. Using public office for profit contrary to section 179C of the
Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29];
iii. Stealing contrary to section
124 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act
29] and iv. Willfully causing
financial loss to the State contrary to section 179A (3) (a) of the Criminal Offences
Act, 1960 [Act 29]. <o:p></o:p>After
the prosecution had closed its case with as many as seventeen (17) witnesses, the
appellants made a submission of no case to answer in respect of all the charges
under the eight (8) counts. The trial court accepted partially the appellants’
call on it and invoked section 173 of the Criminal and Other Offences
(Procedure) Act, 1960 [Act 30], by
acquitting them on six (6) out of the eight (8) counts.<o:p></o:p>Section
173 of Act 30 provides: “If at the close
of the evidence in support of the charge, it appears to the Court that a case
is not made out against the accused sufficiently to require him to make a
defence, the Court shall, as to that particular charge, acquit him”. &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>The
trial court in acquitting the appellants on the six counts; namely counts 3 to
8, said the prosecution could not establish a prima facie case against them on those counts. The
court, however, called on them to open their defence on counts 1 and 2 since,
in the opinion of the trial court; the prosecution was able to establish a prima
facie case against them on
those counts. It is this ruling of the trial court calling on the appellants to
open their defence on counts one (1) and two (2) that has necessitated this
appeal. <o:p></o:p>The
counts in question read:<o:p></o:p>COUNT ONE: Conspiracy to commit
a criminal offence namely; contravention of provisions of the Public
Procurement Act, 2003, [Act 663];
contrary to section 23(1) of Act 29/60 and sections 92, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of
the Public Procurement Act, 2003 [Act
663].&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE: 1.
AKWASI OSEL ADJEI, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
NEPAD and 2. DANIEL CHARLES GYIMAH, former Managing Director of the National
Investment Bank (NIB), between April 2008 and February 2009 in New Delhi, India
and Accra, Ghana agreed together with Amira Foods Limited of India with a
common purpose to procure 15, 000 metric tons (300,000 bags) of rice for and on
behalf of the Ghana Government without following procurement procedures thereby
contravening the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663)<o:p></o:p>COUNT TWO: Contravention of
Provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 [Act 663], contrary to sections 92, 40, 41, 42 and 43 of the Public
Procurement Act [Act 663].<o:p></o:p>PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE: 1.
AKWASI OSEI ADJEI, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and
NEPAD, and 2. DANIEL CHARLES GYIMAH, former Managing Director of t</main>