EUNICE ADU vs. THE REPUBLIC [2023]DLCA11821

Date	2023-01-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H2/17/2021
Citation No.	[2023]DLCA11821

MARGARET WELBOURNE JA (PRESIDING)

P. BRIGHT MENSAH

J.A.

BARTELS-KODWO JA.

DIVINE KAFUI AKPALO FOR ACCUSED/APPELLANT

NANA ADOMA OSEI (PPS) FOR REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT

[2023]DLCA11821
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EUNICE ADU<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 (CRIMINAL DIVISION),
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;">

NANA ADOMA <span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; 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;">OSEI (PPS) FOR REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>MARGARET
WELBOURNE JA (PRESIDING), P. BRIGHT MENSAH, J.A., BARTELS-KODWO JA.<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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>BRIGHT
MENSAH JA:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Sometime in
2018, Eunice Adu, the accused/appellant herein, was arraigned together with a
Patrick Kodua before the Madina District Court charged with various criminal
offences.&nbsp; Whereas Eunice Adu was charged
with one (1) count of Stealing
contrary to S. 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29] and four (4) counts of Forgery of other
document contrary to S. 159 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29],
Patrick Kodua, on the other hand, was charged with one (1) count of Abetment of
crime to wit: Forgery of official document contrary to Sections 20(1) and 153
of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29], respectively.&nbsp; Both pleaded not guilty to the charges
whereupon the court mounted a full scale trial into the charges.&nbsp; At the close of the Prosecution’s case, the
trial Madina District Court ruled that based on evidence on record, a case has
been made against both accused persons.&nbsp;
In the result, the court ordered them to enter into their defence, thus
overruling the submissions of no case canvassed by the lawyers for the accused
persons.&nbsp; Apparently dissatisfied with,
and aggrieved by the ruling of the trial court, the accused persons exercising
their constitutional right to appeal against the decision, filed an appeal to
the High Court, Accra.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The High
Court in its judgment handed down on 28/04/2021 which judgment appears on pp 78
– 105 of the record of appeal [roa] dismissed the appeal, thus
affirming the ruling of the trial District Court calling on the accused persons
to open their defence.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Pursuant to
the High Court’s judgment affirming the decision of the trial District Court,
the 2nd accused person, Patrick Kodua in compliance with the order
of the High Court went back to the trial District Court to open his
defence.&nbsp; A2 in his defence, filed a
witness statement that appears on pp 2 – 30 of Vol. 2 [roa].&nbsp; His evidence-in-chief and
cross-examination of A2 by the Prosecution however appears on pp
97-121; pp 122-136; and pp 153-162 of Vol.2 [roa] respectively.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the final
analysis, the trial District Court found A2 guilty and convicted him of the
offence of Abetment of crime to: Forgery of official document contrary to
Sections 20(1) and 153 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 [Act 29].&nbsp; On record, A2 was sentenced to a fine of five
hundred penalty units amounting to Six Thousand Ghana Cedis (Ghc6000.) or in
default, 24 months IHL.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;