KWABENA AGYEI (ACCUSED/APPELLANT) vs. THE REPUBLIC (RESPONDENT) [2019]DLCA7816

Date	2019-04-29
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H2/04/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA7816

MARIAMA OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J. A.

WELBOURNE (MRS) J. A.

ABENA NYANTAKYIWAA AGYEMAN ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC

MR. WILLIAM ORLEANS ODURO FOR THE ACCUSED/APPELLANT

[2019]DLCA7816
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWABENA AGYEI<o:p></o:p>(ACCUSED/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">vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<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">

SUIT
NO. H2/04/2019&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 29TH APRIL, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ABENA
NYANTAKYIWAA AGYEMAN ASSISTANT STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC<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">

MR.
WILLIAM ORLEANS ODURO FOR THE ACCUSED/APPELLANT<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 J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J. A., WELBOURNE (MRS) J. A.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

</div><span lang="EN-GB" 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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">WELBOURNE, JA <o:p></o:p>BRIEF FACTS:<o:p></o:p>The Complainant
in this case, Mr. Joseph Adom is the CEO of J. Adom Ltd., and the accused
herein Mr. Kwabena Agyei Arhin, was then the General Manager of J. Adom Ltd.,
until his appointment was terminated in August 2014. The accused in his
employment was to report all his official duties directly to the CEO. The CEO,
in October, 2012, engaged the services of an independent audit firm, John
Allotey and Associates, to conduct an investigative audit work on the financial
books of the company under the stewardship of the accused person. The audit
firm was mandated per the letter given to them to audit the books between the
years, 2006 to 2012. As the rules of auditing demands, the auditing firm wrote
to the accused to invite him to be part of the exercise, since he was the one
to be audited. Upon several invitations and letters from the audit firm to the
accused, the accused refused to avail himself and also refused to co-operate
with the auditing firm to do the work. The audit firm then went ahead and
conducted their investigative audit. <o:p></o:p>The audit firm by
their audit report concluded that an amount of GH₵411,181.77 which
was the Company’s money had been
taken and used personally by the accused, Kwabena Agyei-Arhin, without the
approval of the complainant, the CEO. The Complainant based on the audit report
then went to the Police Station and reported a case of stealing against the
accused. The Police in their investigation then invited the accused to the
Police station, and in his investigation cautioned statements, he questioned
the findings of the audit report. The accused further stated that, those monies
claimed to be stolen by him were used by him based on verbal approval by the
complainant himself.<o:p></o:p>By a careful
study of the case docket with the evidence available, the accused was charged
with the offence of “Stealing” and put before the High Court.<o:p></o:p>The proceedings
of the trial Court on the 16th January, 2018, stated at pages 37-38
of the record as follows;<o:p></o:p>BY COURT:<o:p></o:p>“Case is for the
Prosecution to call their next witness.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>