GEORGE APPIAH vs. THE REPUBLIC [2021]DLHC17312

Date	2021-06-10
Suit No.	SUIT NO. D15/03/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLHC17312

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JOAN EYI KING

RICHARD OFFIN

EMMANUEL KWASI OPARE-WIREDU

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2021]DLHC17312</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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">GEORGE APPIAH<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
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text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:center 238.75pt 244.25pt left 271.5pt 290.25pt;
text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;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, AKIM ODA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:168.75pt 278.15pt 305.25pt;
text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">&nbsp;</span></p><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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:96.25pt center 244.25pt left 267.0pt 318.75pt;
text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">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;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:143.25pt 171.75pt 288.0pt;text-autospace:
none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">CORAM&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></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JOAN EYI KING<o:p></o:p></span></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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:center 237.5pt left 345.75pt;text-autospace:
none;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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">&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; BAIL
PENDING APPEAL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN">This is an application for
bail pending appeal. The Applicant herein was arraigned before the Ofoase
District Court on one count of having possession of stolen property contrary to
section 148 of Act 29/60. After filing the Notice of Appeal against conviction
and sentence, the applicant has applied to this court for bail pending appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN">In his submission, counsel
for the applicant submitted that when the applicant was arraigned before the
District Court, he pleaded guilty with explanation but the court did not accept
his explanation and sentenced him to six (6) months imprisonment as per Exhibit
A. That the applicant being aggrieved with the conviction and sentence has
appealed against same in this court as per Exhibit B. That the alleged offence
upon which the applicant was convicted, i.e. having in possession stolen
property is not a known offence in our criminal jurisprudence. That section 148
of Act 29 which the court grounded its conviction is not an offence creating
section but gives explanation to the offence of dishonestly receiving. That per
the provisions of Article 19(11) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, a person
cannot be convicted of a criminal offence unless the offence is defined and the
penalty for it is prescribed. That since the offence of having possession of
stolen property is not defined and the penalty for it is not prescribed, the
trial magistrate erred in convicting the applicant on same and therefore the
appeal is likely to succeed and so if the applicant is not admitted to bail, he
would spend a substantial part of the sentence by the time his appeal would be
heard. Counsel supported his application with the case of <b>RAHIM IBRAHIM &amp; ORS v THE REPUBLIC </b>(Suit No. 142/2/2016, C.A.
Tamale held on 18<sup>th</sup> July 2017 – Unreported).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Arial Unicode MS&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN">Counsel further submitted
that per the affidavit in opposition, although the respondent admits that the
Magistrate should not have convict</main>