KEJI OMOTOSHO vs. THE REPUBLIC [2019]DLHC17238

Date	2019-04-12
Suit No.	SUIT NO. 143/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC17238

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE CHARLES EDWARD EKOW BAIDEN

VICTORIA ASIEDUWAA ESQ

PAUL ASSIBIABARIGA ESQ

[2019]DLHC17238
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk152146143"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">KEJI OMOTOSHO <o:p></o:p></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">THE REPUBLIC <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;">&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;">SUIT NO. 143/2019&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; DATE: 12TH APRIL,
2019<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;"><o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<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;">

VICTORIA ASIEDUWAA ESQ., FOR THE REPUBLIC PAUL ASSIBIABARIGA ESQ., FOR
THE APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">CORAM <o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP
JUSTICE CHARLES EDWARD EKOW BAIDEN<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
tab-stops:4.5pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>The Appellant herein, Keji Omotosho
was a 20-year old Nigerian national who lived at Okaishie, Accra.
On 28th
October 2015 at about 2am, the Complainant saw the Appellant
carrying two heavy bags at Circle, Accra. The Complainant, suspecting the bags
to contain stolen goods
demanded that the Appellant opened same. The Appellant refused to do so and instead attempted to
board a trotro vehicle but was
prevented. With the assistance of some bystanders, the Appellant was compelled
to open the bags which revealed 14 parcels of compressed dried leaves suspected
to be Indian hemp. The Appellant was subsequently arrested and handed over to
the Police together with the parcels of the compressed leaves. In the
Investigation Cautioned Statement, the Appellant stated that he was hired by one “Alaja” to convey the load to Okaishie,
Accra. The Appellant was arraigned before the court below and
upon his plea of guilty, he was
convicted and sentenced to eleven (11) years of imprisonment IHL.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Being dissatisfied with
the decision of the Circuit Court, the Appellant filed this appeal before this
Court. An appeal is by way of re-hearing, which principle, empowers the Court
to consider the appeal record in its entirety. According to Dotse JSC in the
case of DEXTER JOHNSON vs THE
REPUBLIC [2011] SCGLR 601:<o:p></o:p>“Just like a civil appeal
where it has been decided in a long line of cases that an appeal is by way of
re-hearing. […]. Criminal appeals are also by way of re-hearing.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;Though the Appellant’s grounds
of appeal are mainly for mitigation, the Court is bound
to peruse the entire record of appeal. The record before this Court shows that,
when the Appellant was arraigned before the trial court, he pleaded guilty simpliciter and was convicted. I also find from the record of appeal that,
the Appellant