DELE ADENIRAN vs. THE REPUBLIC [2019]DLCA8833

Date	2019-11-26
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL: NO: H2/15/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA8833

KUSI-APPIAH J.A. – PRESIDING

KWOFIE J.A.

AGBEVOR J.A.

MR. RICHARD NUMBO SAAKA FOR THE APPELLANT

MR. RICHARD GYAMBIBY SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA8833
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DELE ADENIRAN<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><o:p>&nbsp;</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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CRIMINAL APPEAL:
NO:&nbsp; H2/15/2018&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 NOVEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
RICHARD NUMBO SAAKA FOR THE APPELLANT<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. RICHARD GYAMBIBY, SENIOR STATE ATTORNEY
FOR THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>KUSI-APPIAH
J.A. – PRESIDING, KWOFIE J.A., AGBEVOR J.A.<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="text-align:center;border:none;
mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AGBEVOR,
J.A.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant and three others were convicted by the High Court, Accra on the 9th
November 2009 for the offences of:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:27.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-27.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1">a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Conspiracy to commit crime to wit
robbery contrary to Section 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act
2003 Act 646.&nbsp; The accused were also
convicted for the substantive offence of robbery contrary to Section 149 of the
Criminal Offences Act 1960 as amended by Act 646 for robbery.<o:p></o:p>The
brief facts of this case are that the four accused persons armed with a locally
manufactured pistol given to them by A5 went to Dome on the 27th day
of October 2003, with the sole purpose of robbing the complainant.&nbsp; It was around 10.30pm A1, A3 and A4 broke
into the house of complainant, one Mr. Birifi Appenteng the then Managing
Director of the Graphic Communications Group.&nbsp;
The accused inflicted knife wounds on him and put fear in the household
by shooting into the ceiling.&nbsp; They made
away with clothing, a laptop computer, mobile phones, the sum of Gh¢266,000.00
and US$10.00.&nbsp; the accused put their
booty into the trunk of the Nissan Sunny car belonging to the Managing Director
and drove to their base in Avenor.&nbsp; In
the process of off-loading the booty, a police night patrol team passing by
spotted them.&nbsp; The accused all took to
their heels in different directions but A1 was arrested in the escape and he
gave information which led to the arrest of A2, A3, A4 and A5.&nbsp; After investigations the five were brought to
court on the charges set out on the charge sheet.<o:p></o:p>A1
pleaded guilty simpliciter on charges of conspiracy to rob and robbery.&nbsp; He was convicted and sentenced.&nbsp; A2 to A5 pleaded not guilty to all charges
against them.&nbsp; Following a submission of
no case against A2 by his counsel which was upheld by the court he was
acquitted and discharged.&nbsp; The 5th
Accused was also acquitted and discharged after trial.&nbsp; The rest of the accused were convicted and
sentenced.&nbsp; A1, A3 and A4 were sentenced
to 20 years each with hard labour on the conspiracy charge and 20 years each on
the substantive charge of robbery with hard labour with the sentences to run
concurrently.&nbsp; The 4th Accused
aggrieved by the decision of the trial High Court, appealed against his
conviction and sentence. The grounds of appeal by the appellant are: <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-27.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:27.0pt">a. The
court below misdirected itself on the burden of proof in light of evidence
adduced before the court.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-27.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:27.0pt">b. The
court below misdirected itself in concluding that the appellants caution
statement was a confession statement.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-27.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo2;tab-stops:27.0pt">c. The
court below erred in finding that the charge of conspiracy had been proved
beyond reasonable doubt particularly against appellant in the light of the
evidence adduced before the court. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:45.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
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