BEN OKEKE AND OTHERS vs. THE REPUBLIC [2012]DLSC2675

Date	2012-05-30
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/2/2011
Citation No.	[2012]DLSC2675

AKUFFO [MS.] (JSC) (PRESIDING)

ADINYIRA [MRS.] JSC

OWUSU[MS] JSC

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AUGUSTINE OBUOR FOR THE APELLANTS.

MARINA APPIAH-OPARE (PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC

[2012]DLSC2675
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BEN OKEKE AND OTHERS<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/2/2011&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE:
30TH MAY, 2012<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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AUGUSTINE OBUOR FOR THE APELLANTS.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

MARINA APPIAH-OPARE
(PRINCIPAL STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC<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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AKUFFO [MS.] (JSC) (PRESIDING),
ADINYIRA [MRS.] &nbsp;JSC, OWUSU[MS] JSC,
YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE 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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>SOPHIA A. B. AKUFFO (MS), JSC.<o:p></o:p>The
appellants were charged with the offences of conspiracy to commit robbery
contrary to sections 23(1) and 149 of Act 29, and robbery contrary to section
149 of Act 29. At the Sekondi High Court, they were tried on indictment and
convicted of the offences. They were each sentenced to twenty-five (25) years
IHL on each count to run concurrently. On appeal to the Court of Appeal, their
conviction and sentences were affirmed. The appellants therefore brought a
further appeal to the Supreme Court.<o:p></o:p>Brief Background<o:p></o:p>According
to the Prosecution, the appellants are Nigerian citizens now resident in Ghana.
On 21st December 2000 they arrived in Takoradi from Accra and
continued to Tarkwa. They arrived in Tarkwa at about 10:00pm where they were
led by a man by name C.K. to Akoon Small Mining Company. Armed with a single
barrel shot gun, an axe, a jack knife and a quantity of ammunition, the
appellants together with certain other persons attacked the security officers
on duty. The appellants beat up these officers and afterwards made away with a
gold weighing machine valued at ¢12 million (old Cedis) and a quantity of gold
concentrate. The appellants then continued to Wasa-Manso where they attacked
the home of a prosecution witness and his family. The appellants hit the
witness on the head and he fell down unconscious. They subjected his wife to severe
beatings after which they stole two travelling bags, a mobile phone and its
charger, one kente cloth and a sum of ¢1.1 million. The appellants packed the
items into the man’s vehicle and fled but abandoned the vehicle at a point
after radio announcements had been made about the robbery. Fortunately the
appellants were spotted by some town folks and were chased and apprehended and
handed over to the police. <o:p></o:p>The
grounds of appeal to the Supreme Court may be summed up as follows:-<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There was non-compliance
with Section 187 and 188 of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960
(Act 30) were not complied with therefore the committal proceedings were a
nullity<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
amendment to the Bill of Indictment after the close of the case for the prosecution
has occasioned a substantial miscarriage of justice to the appellant<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
There
was misdirection by non direction of the jury as regards alibi since the
appellants claimed they had not been at the crime scenes<o:p></o:p><sp</main>