PAUL AMANKWA OSEI TUTU AND SETH DZAMESI (APPELLANTS) vs. THE REPUBLIC [2015]DLCA4950

Date	2015-11-26
Suit No.	SUIT N0: H2 / 16 /2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA4950

VICTOR OFOE J.A. (PRESIDING)

A. M. DORDZIE J.A.

S. DZAMEFE JA

JOHN KWAME WAGA ESQ. FOR THE APPELLANTS

VALERIE AMATE CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC /RESPONDENT.

[2015]DLCA4950
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PAUL AMANKWA OSEI TUTU AND SETH DZAMESI<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL (CRIMINAL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">SUIT N0:&nbsp; H2 / 16 /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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
26TH NOVEMBER, 2015&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JOHN
KWAME WAGA ESQ. FOR THE APPELLANTS <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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VALERIE AMATE CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR
THE REPUBLIC /RESPONDENT.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>VICTOR OFOE J.A. (PRESIDING), A.
M. DORDZIE J.A., S. DZAMEFE JA<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>A. M. DORDZIE, JA:-&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The
appellants herein Paul Amankwa Osei Tutu and Seth Dzamesi were tried by the
Fast Track Division of the High Court on charges of Conspiracy to commit crime,
namely defrauding by false pretences contrary to sections 23(1) of the Criminal
Offences Act 1960, Act 29 and Defrauding by false pretences contrary to section
131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29<o:p></o:p>Three
other persons were charged together with the appellants herein. Two of them the
1st &amp; 2nd accused in the charge sheet were absent at
the trial and the record shows that bench warrant was issued for their arrest.
The 4th accused was tried together with the appellants; he is not a
party to this appeal.<o:p></o:p>The
particulars of the offences as spelt out in the amended charge sheet on the
record are as follows:<o:p></o:p>Count one:&nbsp; Conspiracy to commit crime, namely Defrauding
by false pretences contrary to sections 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act
1960, Act 29<o:p></o:p>Particulars
of this offence are : 1. Mike Doe, 2. Evans Akafia, 3. Paul Amankwah Osei Tutu,
4. Jeffery Kofi Boakye 5. Seth Dzamesi on or about the 11th of
October 2012 at Spintex Road in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana acted
together to defraud by false pretences one Kofi Dankwah Asante Antwi of the sum
of USD 700,000.<o:p></o:p>Count Two:&nbsp; Defrauding by false pretences contrary to
section 131(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29.<o:p></o:p>The
particulars are: 1. Mike Doe, 2. Evans Akafia, 3. Paul Amankwah Osei Tutu, 4.
Jeffery Kofi Boakye, 5. Seth Dzamesi On or about the 11th day of
October 2012 at Spintex Road in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana with intent
to defraud obtained the consent of one Kofi Dankwah Asante Antwi to part with
the sum of USD700,000 by means of false pretence, namely by falsely
representing to the said Kofi Dankwah Asante Antwi that if the said amount of
USD700,000 was given to you, you would supply him with 75kilograms of gold,
which statement you well knew at the time of making to be false.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The
appellants and the 4th accused person were found guilty of the
offences and were convicted on both charges and sentenced to 15years
imprisonment each, on each count, the sentence was to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>They
were further ordered to refund the amount of USD700,000 to the complainant.<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied
with the conviction and sentence the appellants herein who were the 3rd
and 5th accused persons at the trial filed this appeal praying this
court to set aside the conviction and sentence of the High Court, and acquit
and discharge them. In the alternative the sentence be reduced by this court.<o:p></o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p>Separate
notices of appeal were filed by the two appellants.&nbsp; On the 18th of June 2014, the 2nd
appellant Seth Dzamesi filed his notice of appeal which has the following
grounds of appeal:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;The judgment is against the weight of evidence
adduced at the trial<o:p></o:p>