ARMAH SHANDOLF vs THE REPUBLIC [2021]DLCA16051

Date	2021-11-04
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H2/14/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA16051

SOWAH J. A. (PRESIDING)

OPPONG J. A.

MENSAH-HOMIAH J. A.

DICKSON DONKOR

[2021]DLCA16051
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ARMAH SHANDOLF<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, KOFORIDUA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<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;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO: H2/14/2021&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;&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: 4TH NOVEMBER 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>SOWAH
J. A. (PRESIDING), OPPONG J. A., MENSAH-HOMIAH &nbsp;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;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">JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MENSAH-HOMIAH, JA:<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">Men
in uniform, by their training, are to employ the highest ethical standard,
exhibit courage, integrity, and above all professionalism, in carrying out
their mandate; their core duties being maintenance of law &amp; order,
protection of life and property, investigations, arrest and prosecution of
criminals, among others. But, when a man in Uniform jettisons his good
qualities, core duties &amp; professionalism and joins the “league of
professional thieves” with the aim of becoming rich overnight, the confidence
level of the citizenry in the police drops to the lowest level.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">In
this appeal, I am confronted with the unpleasant and troubling situation of
dealing with an appellant who, until his prosecution at the court below, was a
policeman, with service number 35599GC/2. To describe the Appellant in the simplest terms, he
could not keep his head cool when his close associates were losing theirs, he could
not endure the test of time; his uncontrolled desire to acquire undeserved
riches cut short his career. And, the predicament he now finds himself in could
have been avoided!<o:p></o:p>The High Court,
Cape-Coast, imposed a Life Sentence on the Appellant herein (First Accused
therein), after a jury had found him guilty of the offences of conspiracy to
commit robbery and robbery, contrary to sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal
Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), respectively.<o:p></o:p>Throughout the
hearing of the instant appeal, the Appellant has been described as No.
35599GC/2. I think he does not deserve that description, having been dismissed
from the Ghana Police Service before the commencement of the trial. Accordingly,
the title of the case is to be amended by striking out the Appellant’s previous
service number, 35599GC/2 and it is accordingly struck out.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;FACTS OF THE CASE<o:p></o:p>Briefly stated,
the facts of the case relevant to this appeal and which were proved at the
trial are that, the Appellant was a police constable usually stationed at the
Anomabo Beach Resort on night duty. After a series of meetings and arrangements
with some of the accused persons, the Appellant agreed to recruit others from
the Konkomba market in Accra for a robbery operation targeted at the said Resort.
He succeeded in doing so.<o:p></o:p>On or about 27th
April, 2003, the Appellant and others accosted the Accountant of the Resort,
Mr. Mathew Mensah, about 400 metres away from the Resort whilst he was
travelling to Cape Coast to deposit an amount of ₵9,800,000.00 (now
GHC9,800.00) and two cheques, each with a face value of ₵3,000,000.00 (now
GHC3,000.00), at the bank. In the process, Mr. Mathew Mensah was shot with a
gun and he eventually died at the Cape - Coast hospital. The Appellant and his
accomplices beetled off with the money which was in Mr. Mathew Mensah’s
possession.<o:p></o:p>Acting upon
intelligence, Appellant and the driver of the vehicle were arrested. Other
suspects were later arrested. During a search in Appellant’s room, police
accoutrements and other items including a Barclays Bank pay-in-book were found.
The lower court committed Appellant and his accomplices to the High Court to
stand trial before a jury.<o:p></o:p></main>