MENSAH vs. AMAGYEI AND OTHERS [1961]DLHC5420

Date	1961-06-22
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1961]DLHC5420

OLLENNU J.

G. KORANTENG-ADDOW FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

O. ASAMOAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS

[1961]DLHC5420
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													<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">MENSAH<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">AMAGYEI AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#548DD4">&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<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">

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

G.
KORANTENG-ADDOW FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

O.
ASAMOAH FOR THE DEFENDANTS.<o:p></o:p>

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

OLLENNU J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF
OLLENNU, J.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff claims against the defendants jointly and severally
the sum of £G2,804, as special damages and £G2,000 general damages for the
destruction of his cocoa farm situate at a place called Abehe-Maso, for the
purpose of using the site to build a new township. The said farm contained also
kola nut and palm trees. The plaintiff inherited the farm from an uncle of his,
one Agyekum.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendants admitted destroying the farm as alleged with all
the said economic trees in it. Their defence is that the plaintiff is not
entitled to damages because the land was required for national purposes, i.e.
raising a new township, and therefore the people, chief and elders of the two
towns, i.e. Abirem and Mamanso who were going to build the new town, agreed
that no compensation should be paid for any farms which might be destroyed in
the process.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The issues which were raised on the pleadings for determination
are: (1) was an agreement or decision reached or taken as alleged? and (2) if
it was, is it binding upon the plaintiff ? The onus of establishing the
affirmative of these issues is upon the defendants.<o:p></o:p>On the first issue the first defendant, the chief of Abirem gave
evidence 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">“The surveyor said that the layout would destroy some cocoa farms,
but the people of Mamanso said that they knew that by all means some people’s
properties would be destroyed but they did not mind it. The Government Agent
said that in that event he would permit the surveyor to make the layout. So the
work was begun.”<o:p></o:p>Continuing he said:<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">“Yes because of the new town to be built I say that the people
said that it does not matter if their properties were destroyed”.<o:p></o:p>D.W.1, an elder of Abirem gave evidence of the alleged agreement
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">“The Krontihene of Akim, Kotoku, then acting as regent of Kotoku,
the Government Agent, and the surveyor were invited to the site; there the
Krontihene poured libation. In answer to the regent the people said that they
had no objection to their farms being destroyed.”<o:p></o:p>Under cross-examination this witness said:<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">“It is correct that we have permitted some people to make
foodstuff farms on portion of the land which used to be the plaintiff’s farm”<o:p></o:p>