ZAKARIA IDDRISU vs. THE REPUBLIC [2023]DLHC17093

Date	2023-03-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. F22/32/22
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC17093

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

EBO DONKOR ESQ

MABEL ARABA AIKINS

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2023]DLHC17093</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">ZAKARIA IDDRISU<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">[HIGH
COURT, SEKONDI]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;tab-stops:168.75pt 278.15pt;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">&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;&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></span></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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">SUIT NO. F22/32/22&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: 9<sup>TH</sup> MARCH
2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">CORAM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;margin-bottom:
0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND
OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p></span></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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">This
judgment is in respect of an appeal against the judgment of the Circuit Court,
Tarkwa delivered on 27<sup>th</sup> January, 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">The
Appellant was charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit Robbery contrary
to sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and
Attempt to commit crime to wit Robbery contrary to section 18(1) of Act 29. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Appellant
pleaded guilty to all the counts. He was subsequently convicted on his own plea
and sentenced to fifteen (15) years in hard labour (IHL).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">The
brief facts of the case as presented by the prosecution are that on 11<sup>th</sup>
January, 2016 at about 7.00 am the complainant received a phone call from his
security man that while he was on duty at the complainant small scale mine at
1:00 am, four armed robbers invaded the mine to rob and while the robbers were
in there, one of the robbers shot at him and bolted away thereafter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">The
Police arrested the Appellant upon a tip off, charged him with the above stated
offences and arraigned him before court for prosecution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Aggrieved
by the conviction and sentence, the Appellant has filed the instant Petition of
Appeal. The sole ground of appeal is that the conviction is wrong in law.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">In
his written address/submission, Counsel for the Appellant argued that the
Appellant was not represented at the trial court and that that per section 199
of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1960 (Act 30) when an Accused pleads guilty and
is not represented, before the court accepts the plea, the court shall explain
the nature of the charge and the consequence of a plea of guilty.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">Section
199(1) of Act 30 sta</main>