ASSAN DICKSON vs. THE REPUBLIC [2019]DLHC10091

Date	2019-06-20
Suit No.	CASE NO. CR/286/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC10091

JUSTICE GEORGE BUADI J.

NANA YAA NARTEY FOR APPELLANT

JOYCE BUERKUOR DEBRAH (MRS) (STATE ATTORNEY) FOR REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT)

[2019]DLHC10091
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ASSAN DICKSON<o:p></o:p>(CONVICT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT
(CRIMINAL DIVISION, 5), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>NANA YAA NARTEY
FOR APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JOYCE
BUERKUOR DEBRAH (MRS) (STATE ATTORNEY) FOR REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;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 ON CRIMINAL APPEAL<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;1.0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction<o:p></o:p>1.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is a criminal appeal against the
judgment of the Circuit Court, Accra dated 31 August 2018<a href="file:///C:/Users/aggie/Desktop/2020-21/Criminal/Assan%20Dickson%20v%20Rep%20-%20Criminal%20Appeal%20(2021_01_25%2010_26_20%20UTC).docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>
that convicted and sentenced the appellant to a term of four years imprisonment
in hard labour (IHL) on the charge of stealing contrary to s.124(1) of the Criminal &amp; Other offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;1.2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The brief facts are that appellant was at
all material time a staff (Financial Officer) of the Cal Bank. On 27 September
2016, a superior officer of the Bank (Financial Controller), indeed the
complainant while on his routine checks discovered that appellant had opened
two different personal accounts in addition to the official one with which he
operates with the bank, making it three personal accounts with the bank.
Further checks showed that appellant had transferred cash amount of GH¢109,501.72
from the Bank’s account into these three personal accounts and had withdrawn
these amounts on different dates. <o:p></o:p>1.3&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon discovery, the Bank on 25 October
2016 reported the matter to the police who arrested appellant for
interrogation. Police factsheet suggests that appellant admitted the offence in
his cautioned statement to the police, and disclosed how he went about the
offence. According to police, appellant disclosed that he managed to know the
passwords of five authorizing officers of the Bank by which he transferred the
money into his personal accounts.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;1.4&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At the trial, appellant denied the
charge, and pleaded ‘not guilty’. Pursuant to objection to the tendering of the
cautioned statement, the court undertook a mini-trial the result of which led
to rejection of the statement on grounds among others that the statement was not
freely procured. The court explained that the statement was taken without the
requisite caution, particularly without explaining to the accused his right of
choice to legal counsel to be present in the taking of the statement. The court
nonetheless upheld the charge, convicted appellant and sentenced him to 4 years
imprisonment in hard labour (IHL).<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2.0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Grounds
of the appeal<o:p></o:p>2.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dissatisfied with his conviction and
sentence, appellant filed notice of appeal on 17 September 2018.<a href="file:///C:/Users/aggie/Desktop/2020-21/Criminal/Assan%20Dickson%20v%20Rep%20-%20Criminal%20Appeal%20(2021_01_25%2010_26_20%20UTC).docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</a> Grounds
of the appeal are that:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;i&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The [trial] Judge erred by admitting the charge statement
of the accused and relying on same to convict and sentence the accused when both
the charge and cautioned statements were taken under the same/similar
circumstances<o:p></o:p>