MAURICE ASOLA FADOLA vs. THE REPUBLIC [2012]DLCA8637

Date	2012-11-29
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H3/109/2012
Citation No.	[2012]DLCA8637

APALOO JA (PRESIDING)

DUOSE JA

GYAESAYOR JA

MRS. MARINA APPIAH OPARE (PSA) WITH HER MISS MALIKE WOANYA (SA) FOR THE RESPONDENT

MS AUGUSTINA OSEI-BONSU FOR THE APPLICANT

[2012]DLCA8637
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MAURICE ASOLA FADOLA<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT/APPLICANT)<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>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL (CRIMINAL DIVISION), CAPE
COAST]<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. H3/109/2012&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
29TH NOVEMBER, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MRS.
MARINA APPIAH OPARE (PSA) WITH HER MISS MALIKE WOANYA (SA) FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MS
AUGUSTINA OSEI-BONSU FOR THE APPLICANT<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">

APALOO
JA (PRESIDING), DUOSE JA, GYAESAYOR 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;
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<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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>APALOO JA;&nbsp;&nbsp; In this application for stay of proceedings
in the High Court, Mr. Attah Akyea Counsel for the Appellant/Applicant has
urged before us the need to make an order for stay of proceedings mainly
because he had by a motion requested for referral of witnesses for the
prosecution to a psychiatrist to determine their mental state before hearing
commenced but the trial Court proceeded to hear the testimonies of the
witnesses.&nbsp; The Court subsequently
refused and/or dismissed the application.&nbsp;
Counsel had appealed against that ruling.<o:p></o:p>The
applicant by his affidavit before us has stated that;<o:p></o:p>“12.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; I stand a real danger of
having individual who might be mentally &nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; challenged to testify against me
concerning any weird and &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; imaginary issues.<o:p></o:p>13. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;There is the likelihood
that I might be imprisoned on the basis of &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; hallucinations and make-believe.<o:p></o:p>14.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Unless this Honourable
Court stays the proceedings of the High &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Court, I may suffer irreparable
loss.”<o:p></o:p>In
sum, his paragraphs 12, 13 and 14 disclose the fear he harbours against the
mental state of the potential witnesses.&nbsp;
Indeed the applicant had been charged with 37 (thirty-seven) counts
of&nbsp; defrauding by false pretences
contrary to section 131 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960, one count of
money Laundering contrary to section 1(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2008
Act 749 one count of possession of Forged document contrary to section 166 of
the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 and one count of Possession of Firearms without
proper authority contrary to section 11(a) of the Arms and Ammunition Act 1972,
NRCD 9 before the High Court Accra.<o:p></o:p>It
is clear from the law that in an application for stay of proceedings the
applicant must establish that there are in existence exceptional circumstances
warranting the grant.&nbsp; It has also been
held that in such applications the Court was exercising a fresh jurisdiction
and therefore not sitting on appeal.&nbsp; See
The Republic vrs Committee of Inquiry (R.
T. Briscoe (Gh) Ltd) Ex parte R. T. Briscoe [1976] 1 GLR 166 CA.<o:p></o:p>