KINGSTON ASAMOAH vs. THE REPUBLIC [2016]DLCA8563

Date	2016-11-23
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: H2/03/2016
Citation No.	[2016]DLCA8563

E. K. AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING)

G. TORKORNOO (MRS) J.A.

A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J.A.

[2016]DLCA8563
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KINGSTON ASAMOAH<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" 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;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">vs.<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:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">(RESPONDENT)<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;color:#00B0F0;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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">

CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: H2/03/2016&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: 23RD NOV, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div><span lang="EN-GB" 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;;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">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">

E. K. AYEBI J.A. (PRESIDING), G. TORKORNOO (MRS) J.A., A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J.A.<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>DOMAKYAAREH (MRS), J. A.<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In this appeal, the
appellant is challenging the sentence of 5 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour
imposed on him for falsification of Accounts and 9 years Imprisonment with Hard
Labour for stealing both to run concurrently as being “excessively onerous”.<o:p></o:p>The
facts of the case that led to the conviction of the appellant by the High
Court, Kumasi on 25th January 2013 and his attendant sentencing
arose from how he performed his duties at his workplace.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The appellant was the Depot
Keeper/Clerk of the Produce Buying Company (PBC) at Bekwai ‘B’ District while
the complainants in the case are Yaw Sarpong, Deputy Regional Manager of the
PBC at Kumasi and Owusu Agyei, the District Manager of the PBC, Bekwai ‘B’
District. The job description of the appellant assigned him the responsibility
of receiving cocoa beans bought by purchasing clerks within his area of operation,
namely, Bekwai “B” District. He was also to issue them with waybills for
same.&nbsp; Once the cocoa beans were graded
and sealed, he was also to ensure that the cocoa was evacuated to the Port.&nbsp; His job description did not include the
purchase of cocoa or the handling of cash.&nbsp;
During the 2010/2011 main crop season, the complainant, District Manager
of PBC for Bekwai ‘B’ District conducted a physical counting of the stock at
the Depot of the appellant and detected an initial shortage of 286 bags of cocoa
beans at a time sealing was on gong.&nbsp; Two
weeks later, after the sealing had been completed, the District Manager
conducted a further counting and detected that the shortage had shot up.&nbsp; He reported the matter to complainant the
Deputy Regional Manager, in Kumasi who caused Auditors to audit the appellant.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
After the audit it was
detected that the accused had stolen the cash equivalent of 1,347 bags of cocoa
beans then worth GH¢200 per bag making a total value of GH¢269,400.00.&nbsp; A report was made to the Police and the
appellant was arrested for investigations.&nbsp;
The Police investigations revealed that the appellant had collected
various sums of money meant for the purchase of cocoa from various purchasing
clerks under the pretext of buying cocoa beans equal to the amounts collected
to replenish the stock. He issued them with waybills certifying receipt of the
various quantities written on t</main>