THE REPUBLIC vs. JOANA KRAH AKOS [2022]DLHC11652

Date	2022-06-07
Suit No.	SUIT NO: E9/25/21
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC11652

HIS LORDSHIP DR. RICHMOND OSEI- HWERE.

ENOCH ALLA MENSAH FOR EMMANUEL ARTHUR FOR THE APPELLANT.

PATIENCE KLINOGO (MS) CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT.

[2022]DLHC11652
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>JOANA KRAH AKOS<o:p></o:p>(CONVICT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, SEKONDI]<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;">

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>ENOCH ALLA MENSAH
FOR EMMANUEL ARTHUR 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:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">PATIENCE
KLINOGO (MS), CHIEF STATE ATTORNEY FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP DR. RICHMOND OSEI- HWERE.<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:150%;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;This
appeal concerns a fundamental issue relating to criminal law jurisprudence i.e.
how to establish the physical element (actus reus) and the mental element (mens
rea) in a transaction in order to fix criminal liability. It also concerns the
circumstances under which a guilty plea can lead to conviction particularly the
legal effects of the charge sheet and facts of a case. This appeal also brings
to the fore our punishment regime and the factors that are considered in
imposing a sentence.<o:p></o:p>This
appeal emanates from the judgment of the Circuit Court Takoradi, delivered by His
Honour Michael Kudjo Ampadu on the 26th day of October, 2021. <o:p></o:p>The
appellant was charged with one count of deceiving a public officer, contrary to
Section 251(b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and one count of publication
of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm to the public, contrary to
section 208(1) of Act 29. <o:p></o:p>Out
of abundance of caution, I produce in full the statements and particulars of
the offences with which the appellant was charged with as follows: <o:p></o:p><o:p></o:p>THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>VS<o:p></o:p>JOANA KRAH AKOS<o:p></o:p>COUNT
ONE<o:p></o:p>STATEMENT
OF OFFENCE<o:p></o:p>DECEIVING A PUBLIC OFFICER:
Contrary to section 251 (b) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act29)<o:p></o:p>PARTICULARS
OF OFFENCE <o:p></o:p>JOANA KRAH AKOS, UNEMPLOYED
AGED 29 YEARS: You on 22/10/2021, at Kojokrom in the Western Circuit and within
the jurisdiction of this court, with intent to evade the requirement of the
law, deceived the Ghana Police Service that you have been kidnapped by unknown
persons to an unknown destination, a statement which you did not have good
reason to believe to be true.<o:p></o:p>COUNT
TWO<o:p></o:p>STATEMENT
OF OFFENCE<o:p></o:p>PUBLICATION OF FALSE NEWS
WITH INTENT TO CAUSE FEAR AND ALARM TO THE PUBLIC:- CONTRARY TO SECTION 208 (1)
OF THE CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT, 1960 (ACT 29).<o:p></o:p>PARTICULARS
OF OFFENCE<o:p></o:p>JOANA KRAH AKOS, UNEMPLOYED
AGED 29 YEARS: You on 22/10/2021, at Kojokrom in the Western Circuit and within
the jurisdiction of this Court, without authority, did publish or reproduce a
statement or rumor or a report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the
public.”<o:p></o:p>Appellant
pleaded guilty to the Two (2) counts stated above. She was subsequently
convicted on all the counts. Appellant was sentenced to Six (6) years and Two
(2) years imprisonment on counts One (1) and Two (2) respectively. The sentences
were to run concurrently.<o:p></o:p>Aggrieved
by the judgment of the trial court, Appellant has filed the instant appeal
against same. <o:p></o:p>