GOLD COAST INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION vs. DUNCAN [1959]DLCA2012

Date	1959-12-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1959]DLCA2012

KORSAH C.J.

VAN LARE J.A.

GRANVILLE SHARP J.A.

[1959]DLCA2012
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">GOLD COAST INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">DUNCAN<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT OF APPEAL]<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;[1959] GLR 444<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
21ST DECEMBER, 1959.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

KORSAH C.J., VAN LARE J.A. AND
GRANVILLE SHARP J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF GRANVILLE SHARP J.A.<o:p></o:p>Granville
Sharp J.A. delivered the judgment of the Court:<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiffs’ claim is for money lent by plaintiffs to defendant at his request,
together with interest thereon and attendant expenses specified in the
particulars, altogether amounting to £4.590. 14s. 2d.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The basis
of the plaintiffs’ claim is an agreement in writing between the parties dated
25th August, 1952. Amongst other provisions the agreement stipulates specific
dates upon which periodic repayments of the loan and interest should be made.
It is not in dispute that at the date the writ was issued no repayment had been
made, and by the date of the trial the whole sum was due and payable, as the
last date for payment had passed.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The only
defence to this claim is an averment on behalf of the defendant that the
plaintiffs had committed a breach of their contract or agreement with the
defendant to finance the defendant’s cassava business or project, and are not
entitled to claim the said sum of £4,590: 14s: 2d, or any part thereof. This
averment, as appears from the plea, was based upon a contention that in July
1949, or thereabout, the plaintiffs had agreed to give the defendant adequate
financial assistance to enable him to establish his cassava project on a
“commercial scale,” and that in reliance on this promise the defendant had
expended moneys in connection with a factory and cassava plantation and the
necessary staff of assistants, all of which moneys have been lost to him by
reason of plaintiffs’ alleged breach of agreement. The defendant, therefore, by
way of set-off or counter-claim sought to recover from the plaintiffs a sum of
£13,614 as damages for breach of contract, and for the losses which he has
suffered by reason of such breach. Defendant also alleged that when he applied
to the plaintiffs for a further loan of £3,000 in about March, 1952, the
plaintiffs declined to advance the said sum, although (as the defendant
contended) the plaintiffs had promised to advance it.<o:p></o:p>No part
of the agreement alleged by the defendant is evidenced by any document in
writing, but the defendant explained that it was his contention that the
plaintiffs operated on the authority of the Industrial Development Corporation
Ordinance and that under that Ordinance they were obliged to finance his
cassava project up to the stage at which it could be said to be a viable
commercial project. Thus we understood the argument of Counsel for the
defendant to be.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
relevant provision of the Industrial Development Ordinance is to be found in
section 3, which is as follows:—<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“3 (1)
There shall be established in accordance with this Ordinance a body, to be
called the Ghana Industrial Development Corporation, charged with the duty of
securing the investigation, formulation and carrying out of projects for
developing industries in Ghana. <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2) The
said Corporation shall have power for the purpose of the discharge of their
duty under the preceding subsection—<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:1.0in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">