THE REPUBLIC vs. PETER KWAME GYASI [2014]DLCA4963

Date	2014-02-06
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL SUIT NO: H2/17/13
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA4963

KANYOKE J.A (PRESIDING)

HONYENUGA J.A

DZAMEFE J.A

MR. JAMES ANU ESQ. FOR THE APPELLANT

MRS. MARINA A. APPIAH-OPARE (P.S.A.) FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA4963
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PETER KWAME GYASI<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT/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;
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CRIMINAL
APPEAL SUIT NO: H2/17/13&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; 6TH FEBRUARY, 2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
JAMES ANU ESQ. FOR THE APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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MARINA A. APPIAH-OPARE (P.S.A.) FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>KANYOKE
J.A (PRESIDING), HONYENUGA J.A, DZAMEFE J.A<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>DZAMEFE,
JA<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against
the judgment of the High Court, Accra dated 23rd March 2012.<o:p></o:p>FACTS<o:p></o:p>The appellant together
with Eleven (11) others were charged with the offence of conspiracy to rob and
robbery contrary to Sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences, Act 1960
(Act 29).&nbsp; After a full trial by the
Circuit Court the accused persons including the appellant were all convicted
and each was sentenced to 20 years 1HL.&nbsp;
The appellant was convicted of the offence of conspiracy to rob only and
not robbery.<o:p></o:p>The appellant not
satisfied with the conviction and sentence appealed against same to the High
Court Accra.&nbsp; After hearing the appeal
the High Court upheld the conviction but reduced the sentence to 15 years
1HL.&nbsp; Still not satisfied with the High
Courts decision he further appealed to this court on the following grounds:-<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
conviction cannot be supported by the evidence on record and same has
occasioned substantial miscarriage of justice. <o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
evidence on the whole and the current law of conspiracy do not support the conviction
and sentence of the appellant.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
sentence is harsh and excessive.<o:p></o:p>The relief sought is an
order to acquit and discharge the appellant on the grounds that the evidence on
record and the current law on conspiracy do not support the conviction and
sentence.<o:p></o:p>The grounds of appeal
before the High Court were:-<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The conviction is against the weight of
evidence<o:p></o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The sentence was harsh and excessive.<o:p></o:p>Technically ground 1 is a
ground of appeal in civil cases and not in criminal like the instant
appeal.&nbsp; In criminal cases it’s correctly
couched as “the conviction cannot be supported
by the evidence on record”.<o:p></o:p>