[1964]DLHC1907 • June 12, 1964 • High Court
HASSAN vs. KASSARDJIAN CONSTRUCTION LTD., TAMALE
The plaintiff, a Lebanese businessman, was arrested at Paga by Ghana Police on a complaint by the defendant company alleging fraud involving an advance of £G2,000 for supply of sand, stone, and gravel. The plaintiff was escorted to Tamale in his own car under police escort, detained overnight without bail, and later released. The defendant company accused the plaintiff of defrauding them by not supplying the materials after receiving the advance. The plaintiff denied the allegations and claimed partial supply of materials. The police eventually released his seized passport after four days. The plaintiff sued for libel, wrongful arrest, and false imprisonment.
read moreJUDGMENT OF SOWAH J. The plaintiff, a Lebanese businessman, was arrested at the frontier town of Paga by the Ghana Police while he was on his way back from Ouagadougou, Upper Volta to Tamale in Ghana and was taken to Navrongo Police Station. He demanded to see the warrant for his arrest and the reason thereof. The Navrongo police told him that they had no warrant but had received instructions to intercept and arrest him and to escort him to Tamale. The police, it appeared, had either no means of transport or a driver. The plaintiff therefore had to telephone a friend, one Moutrage, who gave evidence in his favour. Mr. Moutrage arrived from Bolgatanga to Navrongo and was allowed to drive the plaintiff in plaintiff’s own car to Tamale under a police escort who was also lodged in the car. Upon arrival in Tamale he was informed that the defendant company had made a complaint against him for an alleged fraud. Even though the police knew that the plaintiff had a business and relations .....