VAN LARE J.S.C.: The events leading to the arrest and trial of the appellant were that during the period March to November, 1960, a number of thefts of Post Office copper wire was reported to the police. Some copper wires were cut down from telephone lines to various towns such as Accra and Takoradi, and the estimated loss therefrom was given as £G10,000 from January to December, 1960. On the 17th November, 1960, the police in Accra searched the premises of the appellant, a scrap metal dealer, and discovered a small quantity of certain wires believed to be property of the Ghana Government valued at about £G2 10s. together with other wires which could not be identified but were suspected to be government property or genuine scrap.
The appellant was charged before the Circuit Court, Accra, presided over by Judge Jiagge on the 17th March, 1961, in respect of the articles found in his possession on two counts. The first count charged him with stealing some of the copper wires and the secon…