STEPHEN NYARKO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2015]DLCA5229

Date	2015-01-29
Suit No.	SUIT NO.: C/A NO. H2/8/2014
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA5229

S. E. KANYOKE J.A.

A.M.A. DORDZIE J.A

G. TORKORNOO JA

EDWARD SAM KRABBE FOR THE APPELLANT

JOHN TULASI OFORI (SSA) FOR THE REPUBLIC

[2015]DLCA5229
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >STEPHEN NYARKO<o:p></o:p>(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<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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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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NO.: C/A NO. H2/8/2014&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; DATE: 29TH JANUARY,
2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EDWARD
SAM KRABBE 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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>S. E. KANYOKE J.A.,
A.M.A. DORDZIE J.A, G. TORKORNOO JA <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:
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</div>DORDZIE, J.A.<o:p></o:p>FACTS<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;">: The appellant herein, Stephen Nyarko was convicted
by the High Court Accra on 10th of December 2010 and sentenced to 30
years IHL on charges of conspiracy and robbery.<o:p></o:p>The appellant was charged jointly
with 8 other accomplices with the offences.<o:p></o:p>The facts leading to the charges
are that the appellant and 8 other persons agreed together to rob one Dora
Kumi. The said Dora Kumi owns a shop around the Rawlings Park in the city
center and sells biscuits. On 5th of February 2003 the victim had
closed from the shop and was driving home when she was attacked at gun point by
a group of armed robbers. The robbers held her at gun point, searched the car and
made away with cash amounting to USD65, 000 and GHc4, 500. The robbers stole 2
mobile phones, her passport and a bunch of keys to her shop as well.<o:p></o:p>A report to the police led to the
arrest of Nana Yaw Owusu the first accused and Frederic Lamptey Annan the 4th
accused. The 1st accused during interrogations gave the names of
their accomplices which include the appellant herein. All the accused persons
initially pleaded not guilty to the charges. In the course of the trial the
first and ninth accused persons changed their pleas to guilty and were
convicted accordingly.<o:p></o:p>The appellant and six others went
through the full trial and were found guilty and sentenced to various terms of
imprisonment. The appellant was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment in hard
labour on each count to run concurrently. <o:p></o:p>The appellant being dissatisfied
with his conviction and sentence brought this appeal seeking to set aside the
conviction and sentence imposed upon him<o:p></o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL.<o:p></o:p>The appellant in his notice of
appeal filed 4 grounds and indicated that additional grounds would be filed but
this was not done.<o:p></o:p>The grounds of appeal contained
in the notice of appeal are as follows:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The conviction and sentence of
the appellant is wrong in law having regard to the totality of evidence on
record.<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The failure of the trial judge to
appreciate that the appellant’s defence was reasonably probable amounted to
miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The trial judge erred in law when
he failed to hold that the failure of the prosecution witnesses to directly
ide</main>