FRANCIS BEDZRAH vs. THE REPUBLIC [2017]DLCA4745

Date	2017-11-16
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO: H2/3/2016
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4745

MARIAMA OWUSU (MISS) J.A. (PRESIDING)

F.G. KORBIEH J.A.

I.O.TANKO AMADU J.A.

MR. SAANI RASHEED FOR THE APPELLANT

ELIZABETH SACKEYFIO (SSA) FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA4745
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS BEDZRAH<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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CRIMINAL
APPEAL NO: H2/3/2016&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;DATE: 16TH NOVEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
SAANI RASHEED 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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ELIZABETH
SACKEYFIO (SSA) FOR THE RESPONDENT<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;
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MARIAMA
OWUSU (MISS) J.A. (PRESIDING), F.G. KORBIEH J.A., I.O.TANKO AMADU 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;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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</div>F.G. KORBIEH, J.A.<o:p></o:p>On
page 3 of the ROA, the appellant (as the 2nd accused), George Ayitey
@ George Johnson Layitey (as 1st accused), Mawuli @ Shortie (as 3rd
accused) Abdul Razak @ Zak (as 4th accused who was at large) and
Gedo (as 5th accused) were recorded as being arraigned before the
High Court, Accra and charged with the offences of conspiracy to commit robbery
and robbery. The 4th accused, Abdul Razak alias Zak was at large and
understandably not in court. But there was no explanation as to the whereabouts
of the 5th accused, Mohammed Gedo. So even though there were
supposed to be four accused persons present in court that day, only three of
them were charged: all three pleaded not guilty to the two counts of conspiracy
to rob and robbery. The brief facts of the case were given by the prosecution as
follows: the three accused persons, i.e. the appellant, George Ayitey and
Mawuli, armed with a pistol supplied by Gedo, had robbed the station manager of
the Glory Filling Station at Osu in Accra, George Sackey, of an amount of
GHC34,170.00 after the appellant and George Ayitey had entered the filling
station whilst the rest kept watch as look-outs. They had asked the attendants
to lie down on the ground whilst they broke into the store-room, collected the
amount and sped away in a car. They later admitted their offence in their
statements to the police and before an independent witness. The three were
therefore being tried summarily for the two offences of conspiracy to commit
crime, to wit robbery contrary to section 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal
Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and robbery contrary to section 149 of the Criminal
Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).<o:p></o:p>On the first day of the trial, this is what
transpired in court:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp; “By Court:
Mr. Ayittey I told you that you are involved in several cases in this court.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 1st
Accused: My Lord, only three (3) cases.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Prosecution: Three (3) cases, three cases is only?<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By Court:
Prosecution?”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>