THE REPUBLIC vs. KAREN OTOO [2014]DLCA4666

Date	2014-06-26
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/1/2014
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA4666

ABBAN (MRS) J.A [Presiding]

GYAESAYOR J.A

GYAN J.A

KWESI BAFFOR INTSIFUL FOR THE APPELLANT

MRS EVELYN D. KEELSON (PSA) FOR THE REPUBLIC RESPONDENTS

[2014]DLCA4666
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE
REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KAREN OTOO<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, 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">

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/1/2014&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; 26TH&nbsp;&nbsp; JUNE, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>KWESI BAFFOR
INTSIFUL 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 D. KEELSON (PSA) FOR THE REPUBLIC RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>ABBAN (MRS) J.A [Presiding], GYAESAYOR J.A, GYAN J.A<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoBodyText" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>GYAESAYOR J.A.<o:p></o:p>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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>She was tried
before the High court Accra for:<o:p></o:p><span style="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;&nbsp;
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 style="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;&nbsp;
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>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>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 style="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;&nbsp; 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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="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;&nbsp; That the trial court erred
in law when it failed to consider the defence of the accused/appellant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="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;&nbsp; That by relying solely on
the prosecution’s case without considering the appellant’s case, the trial court
had lowered the high criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt to that
of the civil standard of balance of probabilities.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>