EUNICE ADU vs. THE REPUBLIC [2023]DLCA15135

Date	2023-01-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H2/17/2021
Citation No.	[2023]DLCA15135

MARGARET WELBOURNE JA (PRESIDING)

P. BRIGHT MENSAH JA

BARTELS-KODWO JA

DIVINE KAFUI AKPALO FOR THE ACCUSED/APPELLANT

NANA ADOMA OSEI (SSA) FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT

[2023]DLCA15135
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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, 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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">SUIT
NO. H2/17/2021&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;DATE: 19TH JANUARY 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; 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;">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; 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;">DIVINE KAFUI AKPALO
FOR THE ACCUSED/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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; 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;">NANA ADOMA OSEI (SSA)
FOR THE REPUBLIC/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MARGARET WELBOURNE JA (PRESIDING), P. BRIGHT MENSAH JA, 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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;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:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;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>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 s</main>