KINGSLEY AMANKWAH (a.k.a SPIDER) vs. THE REPUBLIC [2021]DLSC10793

Date	2021-07-21
Suit No.	CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. J3/04/2019
Citation No.	[2021]DLSC10793

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

MARFUL-SAU JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

AMADU JSC

MATHIAS YAKAH FOR THE APPELLANT

STELLA OHENE APPIAH FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2021]DLSC10793
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KINGSLEY AMANKWAH (a.k.a SPIDER)<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>[SUPREME COURT, 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;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CRIMINAL APPEAL NO. J3/04/2019 &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;DATE:
21ST JULY, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>MATHIAS YAKAH FOR THE 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;">

<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">STELLA OHENE APPIAH FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, MARFUL-SAU JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.)
JSC, AMADU JSC <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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;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;DOTSE JSC:-<o:p></o:p>PROLOGUE<o:p></o:p>After reflecting on the sordid and traumatic
events that culminated in the arrest, successful prosecution of three young men
aged 23, 21 and 22 years respectively as at 2009, and their subsequent
conviction and sentence to 65 years each on charges of conspiracy to commit
crime namely robbery contrary to Sections
23 and 149 of the Criminal and other Offences Act, 1960, Act 29 as amended by
The Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act,&nbsp;
2003 Act 646, and robbery, contrary to section 149 of the Criminal and
Other Offences Act, 1960, Act 29 as amended by Criminal Offences (Amendment)
Act 646, 2003, we deem it appropriate to refer to the following statement.<o:p></o:p>This statement itself was made by this court as
its concluding remarks in its unanimous judgment in the case of Frimpong
alias Iboman v The Republic [2012] 1 SCGLR 297, at 340 where we stated
as follows:-<o:p></o:p>“Before
we conclude our judgment in this appeal, let us share with you the first stanza
of Rudyard Kipling’s poem titled “IF”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If you can keep your head when all about you<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Are losing theirs and blaming it on
you;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If you can trust yourself when all
men doubt you,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But make allowance for their
doubting too;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If
you can wait and not be tired by <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; waiting;<o:p></o:p>Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies or being
hated don’t give way to hating,<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And yet don’t look too good, nor
talk too wise.” Emphasis supplied<o:p></o:p>After referring to the above poem and its words,
the court continued and concluded its unanimous judgment thus:-<o:p></o:p>“The
above is relevant in the instant appeal because from the record of appeal, the
appellant had a thriving business at Kantamanto. Besides that, he was married
and had a stable life. If only the appellant could have resisted the temptation
from the co-conspirators, ie. keeping his head cool when all those around
him&nbsp; were losing theirs and wait
patiently for the natural turn of events unfold in his life, the unfortunate
scenario he found himself in, would have been completely avoided