THE REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT (FAST TRACK DIVISION) KUMASI AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL EX-PARTE: CHARLES OWUSU ANSAH [2013]DLSC2825

THE REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT (FAST TRACK DIVISION) KUMASI AND THE ATTORNEY GENERA... [2013]DLSC2825

Date	2013-10-30
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J5/29/2013
Citation No.	[2013]DLSC2825

MRS WOOD C.J. (PRESIDING)

OWUSU (MS) JSC

DOTSE JSC

YEBOAH JSC

AKAMBA JSC

AUGUSTINE ANANE-QUEBAH FOR THE APPLICANT.

ANTHONY REXFORD WIREDU (CSA) FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2013]DLSC2825
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HIGH COURT (FAST TRACK DIVISION)
KUMASI AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL<o:p></o:p>EX-PARTE:
CHARLES OWUSU ANSAH<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;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO. J5/29/2013&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 30TH OCTOBER, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AUGUSTINE ANANE-QUEBAH FOR THE APPLICANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ANTHONY
REXFORD WIREDU (CSA) FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

MRS WOOD
C.J. (PRESIDING), OWUSU (MS) JSC, DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, AKAMBA 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;
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JUDGEMENT <o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>OWUSU JSC.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This is
an application for Judicial Review of the Judgment of the High Court (Fast
Track) Kumasi presided over by His Lordship G. K. Koomson delivered on 17th
day of January 2013.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
application is brought under Article 132 of the 1992 constitution and Rule
61(1) of the Supreme Court rules, 1996 C. I. 16.<o:p></o:p>The
Applicant herein was charged with a criminal offence of Threat of Death,
contrary to section 75 of the Criminal Offences Act of 1960 and arraigned
before the Circuit Court, Kumasi.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
particulars of offence as stated in the charge sheet are as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“CHARLES
OWUSU ANSAH JNR - PENSIONER:- for that you on the 8th day of
march, 2008 at Okyerekrom in the Ashanti Region and within the Jurisdiction of
this court, with intent to put one CHARLES KOFI OWUSU ANSAH into fear of death
did threaten to kill him with a cutlass and a kitchen knife.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>He
pleaded not guilty. The prosecution therefore proceeded to prove the charge
against him and called 6 witnesses including the police investigator.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>At the
close of the prosecution’s case, counsel for the accused made a submission of
no case to answer and thus the court should not call upon the accused to open
his defence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It was
counsel’s contention that the prosecution failed to lead sufficient evidence in
proof of the charge in that the evidence was full of contradictions.&nbsp; The submission was upheld by the trial court
which accordingly acquitted and discharged the accused in its ruling delivered
on 19/01/2010.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This is
what the trial Judge said in his ruling which I deem necessary to reproduce here
under as same was a matter of concern to the appellate High Court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“By Court:&nbsp; I must say that I have perused the evidence
of p.w.1 and p.w.5 critically, I must say that there are doubts as to whether
or not the accused threatened p. w. 1 with death and same must inure in his
(sic) favour.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>I shall
therefore not call on the accused to open his defence. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>He is
accordingly acquitted and discharged.’’ <o:p></o:p>