REPUBLIC vs. REV. DR. PRINCE DUGAH [2022]DLHC16801

Date	2022-11-14
Suit No.	CASE NO. F22/37/2022
Citation No.	[2022]DLHC16801

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE GEORGE BUADI

NAA DJAMAH AYIKOI OTOO

[2022]DLHC16801
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>REV. DR. PRINCE DUGAH<o:p></o:p>(ACCUSED/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, HO]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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><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;">

<a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>CASE NO. F22/37/2022&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 14TH NOVEMBER 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

NAA DJAMAH AYIKOI OTOO FOR
PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE GEORGE
BUADI<o:p></o: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;">

CRIMINAL
APPEAL<o:p></o:p>

</div><h1 style="margin-left:0cm;text-align:justify;line-height:115%">1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Background<o:p></o:p></h1>The appellant herein, the
Executive Director of a corporate entity - Fish Farmer Brigade Ltd is facing
a criminal trial
at the Circuit Court, Ho on charges
of having issued a dud cheque.
After the close of the prosecution’s case, the trial court directed the
appellant to open his defence to the action. Dissatisfied with the decision of the court dated 16 July 2020 that directed him to open his defence, the accused filed this appeal against the decision. The
decision was not a final order of the court on the matter; it is thus an
interlocutory order. I find that the appeal was filed within time pursuant to the Criminal &amp; Other Offences
(Procedure) Act, 1960
(Act 30) s. 326.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The complainant in the
case PW1 is a retired nurse, whilst the accused-appellant is a clergyman
and managing director of Fish Farmer Brigade Ltd, a tilapia farming
Investment Company at Juapong. During the year 2010, the complainant
became aware of the tilapia venture through radio and television adverts. She
developed an interest in the
venture and so attended seminars organized by the company in<o:p></o:p>Accra, after which she
became convinced and therefore invested various sums of money totalling
GH¢40,000 for 100% returns. When the investment matured, the complainant upon demand was, on