THE REPUBLIC vs. EBENEZER BOATENG [2015]DLHC7668

Date	2015-12-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. INDL 75/12
Citation No.	[2015]DLHC7668

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE AFIA SERWAH ASARE-BOTWE (MRS.)

MRS. STELLA OHENE APPIAH FOR THE REPUBLIC

MR. VINCENT AIKINS FOR THE ACCUSED PERSON

[2015]DLHC7668
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>EBENEZER BOATENG<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT (FINANCIAL DIVISION 2), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. INDL 75/12&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; &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: 9TH
DECEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MRS.
STELLA OHENE APPIAH FOR THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR.
VINCENT AIKINS FOR THE ACCUSED PERSON <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE AFIA SERWAH ASARE-BOTWE (MRS.) <o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>The Accused is charged with the following
offences; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:14.6pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">1. Count one; providing Electronic
Communication Service without Authority contrary to section 3(1) and 73(1)( c)
of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:22.05pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">2. Count two; Possessing illegal device
contrary to section 135 of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008 (Act 775) <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:22.05pt;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:18.0pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">3. Count three; Knowingly obstructing and
interfering with the sending, transmission, delivery and reception of
communication contrary to section 73(1)(e) of the Electronic Communications
Act, 2008 (Act 775) <o:p></o:p>The facts of the case which were attached to
the charge sheet and read in open court are that based on signals received on
sim boxing activities going on at Koforidua, on the 9th of January,
2015, a joint anti-fraud taskforce of the National Communication Authority,
Ghana Police Service and the Telecom Operators embarked on an operation in
Koforidua. With the help of the sim box locating device, the activity of the
accused person was traced to the top floor of the SSNIT building opposite the
old Vodafone office. <o:p></o:p>The accused person, Ebenezer Boateng, a
Network Engineer, was met in his office with two others sitting behind a
computer and when asked what he was doing there, he told the team he was
operating a wireless service for the public. Upon a closer look at the open
pages of the computer the team realized that he was operating a sim box. A
search at his office led to the retrieval of four 16-slot sim boxes, three
laptop computers, one standby generator, an inverter, router, large quantities
of assorted sim cards from Vodafone, Airtel and MTN and about 3,296 scratch
cards of the three service providers. <o:p></o:p>Upon his arrest, he confessed to the team
that he was indeed operating a sim box but was doing so for an Afghan citizen,
one Rahim Abdullai Mohammed resident in Dubai and was paid a monthly salary of
US$300. He also told the police that the two other people arrested with him had
just been employed by him to help load credit onto the sim cards and he was
going to pay them from his salary. <o:p></o:p>Investigations revealed that this accused
person had escaped arrest on two previous occasions but the taskforce was able
to seize the sim boxes and two different voter ID cards retrieve from the scene
bore the picture of the accused person but with different names. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:14.6pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">This case was transferred to this Court by
Order of the Honourable Chief Justice. The notice of transfer is dated 26th
February, 2015. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:42.0pt;margin-right:299.75pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">THE BURDEN OF PROOF <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:14.6pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">THE LAW AND THE EVIDENCE REQUIRED <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:14.6pt;margin-right:.2pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:
yes">The required standard of proof is codified
under the Evidence Act (NRCD 323) in at least three sections; Sections 11(2),
13(1) and 22 which are reproduced below; <o:p></o:p>“11(2) In a criminal action the burden of </main>