BENJAMIN MENSAH vs. MINISTRY OF DEFENCE PER MINISTER OF DEFDENCE & 4 ORS [2023]DLHC17377

Date	2023-12-05
Suit No.	SUIT NO. NR/TL/HC/EI3/28/23
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC17377

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ERIC ANSAH ANKOMAH

SYLVESTER ISANG

PRISCILLA NTIRI-ACQUAH GYASI

[2023]DLHC17377
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BENJAMIN MENSAH<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MINISTRY OF DEFENCE PER MINISTER OF DEFDENCE
&amp; 4 ORS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, TAMALE]<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;&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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;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:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>SUIT NO. NR/TL/HC/EI3/28/23&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: 5TH DECEMBER, 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL&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><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ERIC
ANSAH ANKOMAH<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 0in;">

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

</div>Background<o:p></o:p>The applicant who is a military officer was
accused of absenting himself from work without authority. He was further accused
of army recruitment fraud. A complaint was made against the applicant at the
police station. The applicant was arrested by the police in Kumasi and he was later
handed over to his superiors at the 4BN in Kumasi where he was detained for
about 6 months. The applicant was later transferred to his Unit in Wa where he
was further detained in the military guardroom. In all, the applicant was
detained without trial for over 15 calendar months. The applicant caused his
counsel to file habeas corpus at the High court, Wa but irrespective of the
orders made by the court, the applicant was not released from military custody.
Rather the applicant was transferred from Wa barracks to Tamale Kamina barracks
where he was again detained though the High Court Wa had granted the applicant
bail. He was not sent to the registry of the court to execute the bail granted
him by the court though the court order was served on the respondents.<o:p></o:p>Another application for habeas corpus was
filed in High Court Tamale when the applicant was transferred to Tamale in
continues detention.<o:p></o:p>It was when this court ordered the immediate
release of the applicant that he was released to his counsel by the military
from the military custody.<o:p></o:p>Counsel for the applicant on 18th
January, 2023 filed this application for the enforcement of the fundamental
human rights of the applicant.<o:p></o:p>It was on 5th April, 2023 that the
respondents filed affidavit in opposition to the application.<o:p></o:p>For a better appreciation of this application
I will reproduce the entire affidavit evidence of all the parties before I
proceed to evaluate the evidence on record.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Applicant’s case<o:p></o:p>