FRANCIS ATINI vs. THE REPUBLIC [2020]DLCA10028

Date	2020-12-23
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. H2/17/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA10028

ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA. (PRESIDING)

A. B. POKU ACHEAMPONG JA

SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.

AKUA ADOMAA ADDAI ASA LED BY CECILIA ANIMA PEPRAH SSA FOR THE REPUBLIC

SAMUEL AWADIIMA ANYAMASAH FOR THE ACCUSED

[2020]DLCA10028
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS ATINI<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><span style="font-size:
10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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;">

<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">CRIMINAL
APPEAL NO. H2/17/2019<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
23RD DECEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>AKUA
ADOMAA ADDAI, ASA LED BY CECILIA ANIMA PEPRAH, SSA FOR THE REPUBLIC <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">SAMUEL
AWADIIMA ANYAMASAH FOR THE ACCUSED<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM
<o:p></o:p>ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA.
(PRESIDING), A. B. POKU ACHEAMPONG JA, SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<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<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;ASIEDU, JA.<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the judgment
of the High Court, Kumasi delivered on the 19th day of October 2018
in which the learned High Court Judge affirmed the judgment of the trial
Circuit Court dated the 9th day of June 2017.<o:p></o:p>FACTS.<o:p></o:p>The facts of the case are not
complicated. The Appellant, Francis Atini, aged, at the material time of the
incident, about 29 years was the security man of John Owusu Amankwah also known
as Kofi Owusu who is the complainant in this matter. The Appellant was
stationed at and in charge of House Number 25, TUC, Kumasi, which is the house
of the complainant. John Owusu Amankwah is a Timber Contractor and also a
businessman who deals in Car Tyres, Car Batteries and other goods some of which
he stores in his Garage in the house where the Appellant is employed as a
security man. According to the complaint made to the Police, the Appellant, in
July of 2016, entered the Garage in the house and collected 90 pieces of Car
Tyres, 21 pieces of Boliden Car Batteries and 2 Bell Machine Tyres all of which
he sold and made use of the money. In January 2017, the complainant visited his
Garage where he found, to his amazement that the items mentioned above, which
were kept in the Garage, were missing. Upon interrogation, the Appellant
admitted having collected and sold them and made use of the money. The
Complainant then arrested the Appellant and handed him over to the Police who
investigated the matter. The Appellant was thereafter arraigned before the
Circuit Court, Kumasi on a charge of Stealing. The Appellant was tried by the
Circuit Court at the end of which he was found guilty of the charge of
Stealing, convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 10 years with
hard labour. Aggrieved by his conviction and sentence, the Appellant lodged an
appeal at the High Court, Kumasi which, after hearing the matter, dismissed the
appeal and affirmed the conviction and sentence of the Appellant. Not satisfied
with the judgment of the High Court, the Appellant, on the 16th
November 2018, filed a Petition of Appeal to this court against the judgment of
the High Court. <o:p></o:p>In the instant appeal, the Appellant
has set down five grounds of appeal which can be found at page 191 of the
record of appeal, to wit; that:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned judge (sic) in law by
giving undue weight to a Confession Investigation Statement purportedly given
by the Appellant.<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk58247909">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The judgment is unreasonable (sic) it
cannot be supported by the evidence adduced at the trial.<o:p></o:p></a>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The judge failed to consider and
evaluate the totality of the evidence adduced at the trial and contained in the
record of appeal.<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk58128694">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The learned judge misapplied the law
to the evidence adduced at the trial and contained in the record of appeal and
that resulted (sic) substantial miscarriage of justice.<o:p></o:p></a><a name="_Hlk58128773">