PROSPER AMESHINU v. REPUBLIC

Prosper Ameshinu appealed his High Court Fast Track Division conviction and concurrent 60-year sentences for conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. The case arose from the September 21, 2003 robbery of Cox Tamakloe, a Joy FM journalist, who was blocked by a taxi, threatened at gunpoint, and dispossessed of money and his Ford Escort, which was later found dismantled at Nii Boye Town during a police raid in which Ameshinu was arrested. On appeal, Ameshinu challenged the identification parade and alleged police misconduct by pre-parade photographs, and contended mistaken identity and excessive sentencing. The Court of Appeal held PW1’s eyewitness identification reliable, accepted PW3’s evidence that parade guidelines were followed, treated Police Standing Orders as non-binding, and affirmed the conviction as proved beyond reasonable doubt with reference to Miller v Minister of Pensions. Recognizing deterrence for grave robbery per Adu-Boahen, the court reduced the sentence to 50 years concurrent hard labour, dismissing the appeal except for variation.