JOSEPH AWUNOR vs. THE REPUBLIC [2013]DLCA2903

Date	2013-04-10
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H2/9/2013
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA2903

MARIAMA OWUSU J. A. (PRESIDING)

ADUAMA OSEI J.A.

GYAN J.A.

MR. AUGUSTINE OBOUR FOR THE APPELLANT

MRS. EVELYN KEELSON FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2013]DLCA2903
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JOSEPH AWUNOR<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H2/9/2013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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
APRIL, 2014<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>MR. AUGUSTINE OBOUR FOR THE
APPELLANT,<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">

MRS.
EVELYN KEELSON 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;
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MARIAMA OWUSU J. A. (PRESIDING) ,ADUAMA
OSEI J.A. , GYAN J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT <o:p></o:p>MARIAMA OWUSU, J.A:<o:p></o:p>On 13-7-2012, the High
Court, Accra, found the appellant guilty on the charges of Possession of
Narcotic Drug without Lawful Authority and Attempted Exportation of Narcotic
Drug without license issued by the Minister of Health Contrary to sections 2
[1] and 1 [1] of the Narcotic Drug [Control, Enforcement and Sanctions] Law
1990, PNDCL 236. He was convicted on both counts and sentenced to 10 years IHL.<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied with the
decision of the High Court, he appealed to the Court of Appeal on the following
grounds.<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
trial Judge erred when he found that the appellant was in possession of the
drugs.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
trial Judge erred when he invited the appellant, then accused to open his
defence.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Additional
Grounds may be filed upon receipt of a certified true copy of the proceedings
of the High Court.<o:p></o:p>Before dealing with the
arguments advanced in support and against this appeal, I will give a brief
background of this case.<o:p></o:p>On 20-3-2010, one Godfred
Esianu, a Clearing Agent presented seventy-one [71] cartons of fresh pepper and
five [5] cartons of onions to the Aviance Section of Kotoka International
Airport for exportation out of Ghana to the United Kingdom. The consignment
which was loaded in a Hyundai mini bus belonged to the appellant, who had
transported the said cargo from Akatsi in the Volta Region. In the course of
examination, the officials at the Airport detected some parcels of compressed
dried leaves suspected to be Cannabis Sativa concealed in six [6] of the
cartons. The Clearing Agent was arrested and he mentioned the appellant as the
owner of the goods. He then led the police to the appellant’s house at Akatsi
where the latter was arrested. The concealed dried leaves were subsequently
forwarded to the police forensic laboratory for analysis where it tested
positive for Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug with a total weight of 7,788
grams. After investigations, the appellant was charged with the offences stated
supra. He was tried and found guilty and convicted on both counts. As stated
supra, the appellant was sentenced to 10 years IHL.<o:p></o:p>It is this conviction and
sentence that is on appeal before this court. <o:p></o:p>At this stage let me put it
on record that, the appellant did not file additional grounds of appeal as
indicated in his Notice of Appeal filed on 5-2-2013.<o:p></o:p>In arguing the appeal,
counsel for the appellant on ground one [1] which reads;<o:p></o:p>The
trial Judge erred when he found that the appellant was in possession of the
drug;<o:p></o:p>Referred to the evidence of
PW1, the Clearing Agent and the finding by the trial Judge that;<o:p></o:p>“It
is from all the above that I hold that there is sufficient evidence upon which
to hold that the accused person, on 20th March 2010 was in
possession of 7,788 grams of Cannabis Sativa, a narcotic drug per his agent
PWI”.<o:p></o:p><spa</main>