ALHAJI DABILA WATARA @ MACHO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2013]DLCA8062

Date	2013-04-26
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO.: H2/04/2013
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA8062

AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING)

IRENE DANQUAH J.A.

TANKO AMADU J.A.

MR. K. K. SEY FOR THE DEFT/APPELLANT

MR. K. ADDO ATUAH FOR THE PLT/RESPONDENT

[2013]DLCA8062
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ALHAJI DABILA WATARA @ MACHO<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<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)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF
APPEAL, KUMASI]<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.: H2/04/2013&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: 26TH
APRIL, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
K. K. SEY FOR THE DEFT/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">

MR.
K. ADDO ATUAH FOR THE PLT/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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AYEBI
J.A. (PRESIDING), IRENE DANQUAH J.A., TANKO AMADU J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

<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>AYEBI J.A.<o:p></o:p>In 2003, the appellant as the first accused and
five others were tried at the Criminal Assizes held in Sunyani on two counts,
namely conspiracy to commit crime, wit robbery contrary to sections 23(1) and
149 of the Criminal Code 1960 (Act 29) as amended and robbery contrary to s.149
of Criminal Code, 1960 (Act 29) as amended.&nbsp;
The third accused Bello Pierre Clavere, an Ivorian died not long after
the trial started.&nbsp; He could not
therefore give evidence at the trial.&nbsp;
The sixth accused, Yahaya Mahama who was at large was tried in
absentia.&nbsp; Those present pleaded not
guilty on each count.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At the end of the trial, the jury found all the
accused guilty of each of the offences charged.&nbsp;
The trial judge accordingly convicted each of them on each of the two
counts on 7th August 2003.&nbsp; He
sentenced each of the accused to life imprisonment on each count.&nbsp; Both sentences to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In this appeal, appellant herein challenged the
legality of the admissibility of his confession statement that led to his
conviction and sentence on the following grounds:-<o:p></o:p>(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the
verdict is against the weight of evidence <o:p></o:p>(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the
trial judge erred by admitting a confession statement of the appellant<o:p></o:p>(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the
sentence was harsh and excessive.<o:p></o:p>