DANIEL BOATENG vs. THE REPUBLIC [2017]DLHC5981

Date	2017-05-29
Suit No.	CASE NO. D15/39/15
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC5981

SGD FRANCIS OBIRI

MATHEW APPIAH WITH KANKAM BOADU FOR APPELLANT

MARIE LOUISE SIMMONS (SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY) FOR REPUBLIC

[2017]DLHC5981
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DANIEL BOATENG<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>[HIGH COURT, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CASE
NO. D15/39/15&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;29TH MAY, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MATHEW APPIAH WITH KANKAM BOADU FOR
APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>SGD FRANCIS OBIRI (HIGH COURT JUDGE)<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>On 17th November, 2014, the
appellant was convicted by the Circuit Court, Kumasi for stealing contrary to
section 124(1) of Act 29 as amended by paragraph 4 of NLCD 398/60.&nbsp; He was sentenced to 10 years IHL.&nbsp; The court also ordered the confiscation of
his Ford Transit Bus, GH¢12,000.00 which was then in the custody of the Court
and House Number 30, 27 Street Atwima Koforidua to the complainant.<o:p></o:p>The appellant was aggrieved by the
judgment and therefore appealed against his conviction and sentence to this
court after leave to appeal out of time has been granted to him by this court
on 4th March 2015.<o:p></o:p>The appellant grounds of appeal are:<o:p></o:p>(1)&nbsp;&nbsp; The
conviction cannot be supported having regard to the evidence on record.<o:p></o:p>(2)&nbsp;&nbsp; The
learned trial judge erred when he called upon the appellant to open his defence
as no case had been made against him at the close of the prosecution’s case.<o:p></o:p>(3)&nbsp;&nbsp; The
sentence of ten years was excessively harsh.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The appellant counsel did not ask for
any relief in his petition of appeal but from the written submissions, it
appears to me that he wants the court to set aside the conviction and the
sentence.&nbsp; He also wants this court to
reduce the sentence even if same would not be set aside.&nbsp; He further wants this court to set aside the
confiscation order made against the appellant in favour of the complainant.<o:p></o:p>Counsel for appellant as well as the
Republic filed their submissions in this case. Before I will discuss the merits
of each submission, I wish to recap the charge and the facts presented by the
prosecution before the trial court.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>STATEMENT
OF OFFENCE<o:p></o:p>