JOEL MEJIA DUARTE MOISES @ JOEL MELIA vs. THE REPUBLIC [2017]DLSC2538

Date	2017-03-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/8/2016
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC2538

YEBOAH JSC PRESIDING

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO-BAMFO JSC

PWAMANG JSC

OLIVER ATSU ABADA FOR THE APPELLANT

ASIAMAH SAMPONG (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE RESPONDENT

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2017]DLSC2538</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">JOEL MEJIA DUARTE MOISES @
JOEL MELIA</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">vs.</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:#0C00">THE REPUBLIC</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><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: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/8/2016&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:&nbsp;29</span><sup><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">TH</span></sup><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;MARCH,
2017<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">OLIVER ATSU
ABADA FOR THE APPELLANT</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><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: 0cm 0cm 1pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: none; padding: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">ASIAMAH SAMPONG (CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY) FOR THE
RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">CORAM:</span></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">YEBOAH, JSC PRESIDING BAFFOE-BONNIE,
JSC GBADEGBE, JSC AKOTO-BAMFO, JSC AND PWAMANG, JSC<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b><u><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">GBADEGBE
JSC:-</span></u></b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">On 29 March, 2012 the
Court of Appeal confirmed the conviction and sentences imposed upon the
appellant herein by the High Court Accra on 13 April 2007 for the offences of
conspiracy to import narcotic drugs, importation of narcotic drugs, conspiracy
to possess narcotic drugs and possession of narcotic drugs. The appellant
claiming to have been aggrieved by the said orders of the CA appealed to us in
the exercise of his unfettered constitutional right praying for a reduction of
concurrent sentences of 25 years IHL on each of the three counts he was charged
with. In the notice of appeal originating these proceedings filed pursuant to
leave granted by the CA, the appellant urged the following grounds</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">1.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 7pt; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif;">The appellant on the basis of his reformed
character and being a first offender humbly prays for reduction of the
sentence.</span><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 7.5pt; text-align: justify; line-height: 15.55pt; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; ba</main>