KWAME NKRUMAH @ TASTE vs. THE REPUBLIC [2017]DLSC2625

Date	2017-07-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J3/6/2016
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC2625

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC (PRESIDING)

DOTSE JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS) JSC

AUGUSTINE OBOUR FOR THE APPELLANT.

EVELYN KEELSON CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[2017]DLSC2625
																																						<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" >KWAME NKRUMAH @ TASTE<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. J3/6/2016&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: 26TH JULY, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AUGUSTINE OBOUR FOR THE APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

EVELYN KEELSON, CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY 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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

ADINYIRA (MRS), JSC (PRESIDING) DOTSE, JSC
BAFFOE-BONNIE, JSC GBADEGBE, JSC AND AKOTO-BAMFO (MRS), JSC <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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ADINYIRA (MRS), JSC:-<o:p></o:p>Facts and Procedure<o:p></o:p>My Lords, permit
me to start my judgment with this preface on loss or destruction of judicial
records: <o:p></o:p>The first
fundamental principle is that an appellant is not entitled to an acquittal on
the mere basis of the loss or destruction of the judicial records, notably,
trial proceedings.<o:p></o:p>An allegation
that court proceedings are lost or destroyed require investigations into three
important areas, the veracity of the claim, the quantum or magnitude of the
lost, missing or destroyed record and its relevance to the determination of the
appeal in question.<o:p></o:p>Per Wood CJ in John Bonuah @Eric Blay v The Republic Criminal Appeal No. J3/1/2015,
9th July, 2015, unreported<o:p></o:p>On the 5th of June, 2004 at about 1.30 a.m. some armed men
attacked the lodgers, at Richland Hotel in Dunkwa-on-Offin with weapons of guns
and a cutlass and took away their clothings, mobile phones and various sums of
money in dollars and local currency. On a tip off, Kwame Nkrumah @ Taste [the
Appellant] and two others were arrested. They were identified by some of the
victims through identification parades. <o:p></o:p>They were subsequently charged and tried, at the High Court, Cape Coast,
presided over by Nana Gyamera-Tawiah J. On 28 July 2005 they were convicted on
the charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery and each of them were sentenced to
a term of 20 years on conspiracy and a term of 45 years IHL on two counts of
robbery; the three sentences were to run concurrently<o:p></o:p>Six years after the conviction, the Appellant appealed against his
conviction and sentence, upon leave granted by the Court of Appeal on 1/2/2011.
The appeal was assigned to Augustines Obuor Esq. by the Court Appeal. Counsel noticed
that the record of proceedings was incomplete. The charge sheet, caution
statement of the Appellant, which the Appellant relied upon during trial, and
the reasoned judgment of the trial court were missing. <o:p></o:p>The registrar of the trial court was ordered to rectify the record but
was unable to do so with the explanation that : “I have been informed by the Court Clerk of the late Justice Nana
Gyamera-Tawiah that after he had delivered a lot of judgments he took away some
record books, judgments and proceedings. The Court therefore finds it difficult
to lay hands on a lot of his records required for.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Counsel therefore filed additional
grounds of appeal contending that the Court of Appeal could not hear the appeal
without a full record of proceedings and requested for the acquittal and
discharge of the Appellant. <o:p></o:p>The Court of Appeal nevertheless decided that it is competent to hear
the appeal with the record available. After examining the record available, the
Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal and affirmed both the conviction and
sentence. <o:p></o:p>The Appellant then filed an appeal before the Supreme Court on ten
grounds, which are set out as follows: <o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of
Appeal erred when their lordships affirmed the conviction without the full
record of proceedings<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That the Court of
Appeal erred when their lordships affirmed the sentence.<o:p></o:p><sp</main>