ACQUAH
V.
THE REPUBLIC

(1973) JELR 63902 (HC)    
High Court  ·  1 Dec 1973 ·  Ghana
 · 
Other Citations
[1973] 2 GLR 117
CORAM
CHARLES CRABBE J.
Core Terms Beta
appellant
evidence
bags of rice
material time
case
learned trial circuit judge
price control decree
plentiful supply
provisions of paragraph
bag of rice
cross-examination
ghana national trading corporation
obligatory type of legislation
police station
shortage of those goods
account of the circumstances of its birth
ambit of the provisions of paragraph
black market
circumstances of this case
common good
common knowledge
concise oxford dictionary
construction of its provisions
controlled price
cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses
dictates of his own taste
economic system
examination of accounts
existing state of affairs
expression keeping goods
family man
first place
foreign goods
hearing of the appeal counsel
impressive line of social legislation
interpretation of the learned trial circuit judge
issue of the price control decree
kiosk of the appellant
lack of display
learned trial judge
little doubt
necessity of the act
particular construction
real issue
reasonable prices
safe keeping
said subsection
shortage of that commodity
state of things
such essential goods

CHARLES CRABBE J.: The appellant was charged with keeping eleven bags of rice in a manner likely to create a shortage of that commodity to the public. Each bag of rice weighed 220 lb.

The case for the prosecution was that on 19 April 1972, some army personnel visited the kiosk of the appellant. It was not locked. They saw that some empty soap boxes and empty sugar boxes had been packed on top of some items. They entered the kiosk. They saw bags of rice covered with a woman’s cover cloth. They collected eleven bags of rice and sent them to the Ghana National Trading Corporation for safe keeping. The matter was reported to the police. According to the prosecution the appellant had not displayed rice anywhere. On the other hand, there were bars of soap which had been cut into pieces which she was selling.

She was found guilty by the learned trial circuit judge. A fine of ¢50.00 was imposed in default of which she would go to prison for two months with hard labour. She felt aggrieved at thi…

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