THE REPUBLIC (APPLICANT) vs. SAMUEL OFOSU AMPOFO AND ANTHONY KWAKU BOAHEN (RESPONDENTS) [2019]DLHC7139

THE REPUBLIC (APPLICANT) vs. SAMUEL OFOSU AMPOFO AND ANTHONY KWAKU BOAHEN (RESPO... [2019]DLHC7139

Date	2019-07-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CR 385/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC7139

HIS LORDSHIP SAMUEL K. A. ASIEDU J.

YVONNE ATTAKORA OBUOBISA (D.P.P) WITH HER ALFRED

SARPONG (C.S.A) AND ISAAC ASHONG OKAI (S.A) FOR THE REPUBLIC PRESENT.

TONY LITHUR ESQ. WITH MARITTA BREW APPIAH OPPONG ESQ. FOR THE 1ST ACCUSED PRESENT.

DR. AZIZ BAMBA ESQ. FOR THE 2ND ACCUSED PRESENT

[2019]DLHC7139
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL OFOSU AMPOFO AND
ANTHONY KWAKU BOAHEN<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT
NO: CR 385/2019&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; DATE: 25TH JULY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>YVONNE ATTAKORA OBUOBISA
(D.P.P) WITH HER ALFRED ASIAMAH SARPONG (C.S.A) AND ISAAC ASHONG OKAI (S.A) FOR
THE REPUBLIC PRESENT.<o:p></o:p>TONY LITHUR ESQ., WITH
MARITTA BREW APPIAH OPPONG ESQ., FOR THE 1ST ACCUSED PRESENT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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DR.
AZIZ BAMBA ESQ., FOR THE 2ND ACCUSED PRESENT.<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>The
Court has read Article 19(2) (d) (e) of the Constitution and the Court does not
see how that Article applies to the Application which the 2nd Accused
has made for the provision by the prosecution of the Time and the Witness Statements
of certain alibi witness which are not included in the Report on Alibi.<o:p></o:p>Clearly
Article 19 of the constitution applies to a person who has been charged with a
Criminal offence and arranged before the Court. When the accused person were
arranged before the Court, the Court read the charges to them and they
responded and pleaded to the charges in the English Language and they all
pleaded not guilty.<o:p></o:p>The
defence of alibi was filed by the 2nd Accused person and the Police
chose to investigate it. The Police are not bound to investigate or interrogate
the alibi witness at all. Whether or not the Police investigate the alibi that
does not stop the defence from calling their witness at the appropriate time to
give evidence on their behalf to establish the alibi.<o:p></o:p>Indeed
the report of some of the alibi witness whom the Police spoke to and who have
been mentioned in the alibi, have been made available to the 2nd
Accused person and in my view, the 2nd accused person cannot compel the
prosecution to furnish him with Witness Statements of persons whose Witness
Statements the prosecution does not have.<o:p></o:p>When
one reads the report carefully as well as the charge sheet one is not left in
doubt that the accused persons are alleged to have committed the offence on the
3rd February, 2019 and I think that that satisfies the requirement
of the law.<o:p></o:p>The
prosecution is not bound to supply any information to 2nd accused to
tell him for instance that he committed the offence at 10pm or 11pm. Once the
prosecution has indicated the date and the year in which are alleged offence
took place that satisfies the requirement of the law.<o:p></o:p>The
court finds no merit in the Application and therefore dismissed. <o:p></o:p>

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></main>