EMMANUEL KWAME BANSAH vs. THE REPUBLIC [2021]DLCA11785

Date	2021-12-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H2/18/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA11785

WELBOURNE (MRS)

J.A. (PRESIDING)

ARYENE (MRS)

J.A.

BAAH

MICHAEL ADDO FOR APPELLANT

ASHONG OKAI (SSA) FOR RESPONDENT

[2021]DLCA11785
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL KWAME BANSAH<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>[
COURT OF APPEAL , 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;">

SUIT NO. H2/18/2021&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: 9TH DECEMBER 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&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; <o:p></o:p>MICHAEL ADDO 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;">

ASHONG OKAI (SSA) FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>WELBOURNE
(MRS), J.A. (PRESIDING), ARYENE (MRS), J.A., BAAH, J.A.<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:normal;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>WELBOURNE, J.A<o:p></o:p>This
appeal emanates from the High Court, Accra dated 19th July 2019. The
parties will be known as Appellant and Respondent.<o:p></o:p>The brief facts of this case
are that the complainant is the CEO of Sarago Company Limited; a company that
deals in the importation of assorted rice into Ghana. During the month of
January 2015, the complainant imported 45,762 bags of Aroma Vietnam Jasmine
Rice from MOI International Limited of Singapore and deposited same in a
Customs Bonded Warehouse at Tema. On 15th March, 2015, the
complainant received a telephone call from his haulage office that some thieves
went and tied up the security officers and broke into the warehouse and stole
some of the rice. The Complainant immediately reported the matter to police.
During investigations, it came to light that on 6th March, 2015, A2,
A3, A4, A5 and A6 who were security officers with G4S Security Company on duty
at Premix Ghana Limited conspired and approached A1 and A7 to get some people
to come and tie them and break into the warehouse and steal some of the rice.
That when they sell the rice, the proceeds would be shared among themselves. A1
and A7 were arrested and admitted to Police that, A2, A3, A4, A5 and A6 brought
about the deal. <o:p></o:p>Further investigations
disclosed that, A1 then informed A10, whilst A7 also informed A8 to join the
deal and get sponsors. A8 called to inform A9 to sponsor the operation. On 14th
March, 2015, A10 organized two trailer trucks and loading boys to Premix Ghana
Limited premises at about 7.30 p.m. A3 and A4 who were on night duty opened the
main gate for the trucks and they entered. They then broke into the Customs
Bonded Warehouse with A7, A8, A9, A11 and A12 and stole 7, 194 bags of the
rice. After the act, A3 and A4 caused A1 and his accomplices to use their own
uniform to tie them as if they were under duress and placed them at the back of
the warehouse. A1 and A10 led the trucks to New Achimota and sold all the rice
to A13, A14 and A15 at the price of Ghȼ50.00
per bag. A13, A14 and A15 also employed men to re-bag the rice and sold all to
prospective buyers. Police had retrieved the original old bags. A5 and A6 who
are supervisors of G4S Security Company have vacated their post and are
currently on the run likewise A14 and A15. It was stated that efforts are
on-going to apprehend them to face justice.<o:p></o:p>After the trial at the
Circuit Court, the Appellant, then A2 was convicted and sentenced as follows: <o:p></o:p>I Count 1 -5 years IHL<o:p></o:p>Ii Count 6 -10 years IHL<o:p></o:p>Iii Count 7- 10years IHL<o:p></o:p>Iv&nbsp; Count 8- 10 years IHL&nbsp;&nbsp; All to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>The Appellant filed an
appeal at the High Court against his conviction and sentence.<o:p></o:p>The High court on 19th
July 2019 affirmed the conviction and sentence as he did not find any
miscarriage of justice in the judgment of the Circuit Court. Being dissatisfied
with that ruling, the Appellant further appealed to this court on the following
grounds: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;GROUNDS
OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="1" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:106%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">The refusal to set aside the conviction
 and sentence of the Appellant by the High Court, Accra is wrong in law and
 cannot be supported by the weight of evidence on record.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>&nbsp;<ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="2" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:106%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">That his Lordship inference from the
 proceedings to the fact that the Appellant knew A3 and A4 and therefore he
 committed the crime, occasioned a great injustice especially so when there
 is an overwhelming evidence that the principal witnesses of PW1, PW2 and
 PW3 did not know the Appellant.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>&nbsp;<ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="3" type="1">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:106%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">