[2014]DLCA3645 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">KAREN OTOO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> [COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]</span><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/1</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">/2014 </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE: 26</span><sup><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma">TH</span></sup><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"> JUNE, 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;tab-stops:.5in 1.0in 257.25pt"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">KWESI BAFFOR INTSIFUL FOR THE APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MRS EVELYN D. KEELSON (PSA) FOR THE REPUBLIC RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ABBAN (MRS) J.A [PRESIDING] GYAESAYOR J.A AND GYAN J.A<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGMENT</span></b><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> </span></b><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Tahoma"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">GYAESAYOR J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The appellant in this appeal until her conviction for drug related offences was employed as a Customer Care Officer with the Tema Branch of DHL.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">She was tried before the High court Accra for:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Attempting to commit an offence of exportation of narcotic drugs without a licenses issued by the Minster of Health contrary to Section 56(a) and (1) of the Narcotic Drugs (Control Enforcement and Sanctions Law 1990 (PNDCL 236) and<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family: "Book Antiqua"">2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Possession of narcotic drugs without license issued by the Minister of health; contrary to Section (2) (1) of the narcotic Drugs (Control Enforcement and Sanctions Law 1990 PNCDL 236.1<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">She was duly tried and convicted by the High Court on the evidence and sentenced to a prison term of 10 years in accordance with the law on drugs which prescribes a minimum sentence of 10 years IHL for each the offences charged.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Not happy with her conviction and sentence she took out this appeal to have her conviction and sentence set aside on the following grounds:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto; text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The judgment is against the weight of evidence (which amended to indicate that the judgment cannot be supported having regard to the evidence.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space: auto;text-align:justify"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space: auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></i><!--[endif]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">That the trial court erred in law when it failed to consider the defence of the accused/appellant.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space: auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">3.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Ro