[2015]DLSC3416 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 240);">FRIMPONG BADU<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 240);">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif; color: rgb(0, 176, 240);">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]</span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: justify; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/13/2015</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">DATE:</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> 2</span><sup style="font-size: 13.5px;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">ND</span></sup><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 15.3333px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> DECEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">KWADWO OWUSU AGYEMANG ESQ. FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 20.7px; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">MATTHEW AMPONSAH ESQ<span style="font-weight: 700;">.</span> (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE REPUBLIC.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">CORAM:</span></span><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, (PRESIDING) DOTSE JSC, YEBOAH JSC, BONNIE JSC, AND BENIN JSC<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 20.7px;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align: center; line-height: 20.7px; border: none; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC-<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">FACTS<o:p></o:p></span></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">On 10<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> July 2006, Frimpong Badu (Appellant) arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to board a KLM flight to Amsterdam. While undergoing pre-boarding formalities, he was arrested by officials of the Narcotic Drugs Control Board on duty at the airport, on suspicion of possessing narcotic drugs on his body. He was taken to the 37 Military Hospital for an X-ray examination which proved negative. Appellant was taken back to the Airport by the officials to conduct a search of his hand luggage. Four parcels of powdery substance suspected to be narcotic drug were found concealed in a small green bag that the Appellant was holding along with his Puma carry-on bag. A test conducted by the Ghana Standards Board proved that the substance was cocaine weighing 1, 656, 8215 grammes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The Appellant claimed the green bag was given to him at the Airport by one Kenny to be given to a mutual friend Marvin in Holland saying it contained personal effects left by Marvin at home.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Appellant was subsequently charged and tried on two counts of:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">1)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Attempted exportation of Narcotic Drug and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">2)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Possession of Narcotic Drug<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">Contrary to sections 1(1) and 2(1), respectively, of the Narcotic Drug (Control, Enforcement and Sanctions) Law, 1990 (PNDCL. 236)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The Appellant was tried and convicted by the High Court on 25<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> September 2008, and was sentenced to a term of twelve (12) years IHL on each count to run concurrently. The Appellant was held in custody without bail from the day of his arrest on 10<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> July 2006 to his sentence on 25<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> September 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">On 4<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> March 2009, the Court of Appeal affirmed the decision of the High Court. The Appellant being dissatisfied appealed to the Supreme Court against the sentence of twelve (12) years IHL on the grounds that:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">a.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The sentence of twelve (12) years IHL imprisonment imposed on the Appellant by the Trial Court was excessive under the facts and circumstances (evidence) of the Case and the Honorable Court of Appeal erred in affirming that excessive sentence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">b.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">The Trial Court in imposing a sentence of imprisonment on Appellant on 25<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> September 2008 and the Court of Appeal in affirming the decision of the Trial Court on 4<sup style="font-size: 12px;">th</sup> March 2010, violated Article 14(6) of the 1992 Constitution by failing to take into account the period of time appellant was held in custody before the sentence was imposed on him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" st