BONSU AND ANOTHER vs. BONSU [1971]DLHC2097

Date	1971-07-26
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1971]DLHC2097

TAYLOR J.

DR. W. C. EKOW DANIELS FOR THE APPLICANTS.

L. B. AKAINYAH FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1971]DLHC2097
																																						<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" >BONSU AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>BONSU <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
KUMASI]<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;[1971] 2 GLR 242<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:
26 JULY 1971.<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">

DR. W. C.
EKOW DANIELS FOR THE APPLICANTS.<o:p></o:p>

L. B.
AKAINYAH FOR THE RESPONDENT.<o:p></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">

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

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF TAYLOR J.<o:p></o:p>On 19
July 1971 I refused an application by the defendants-applicants and I reserved
my reasons for so refusing to today. I did so because this application before
me brought under Order 16, r. 11 of the Supreme [High] Court (Civil Procedure)
Rules, 1954 (L.N. 140A.), involved a point of procedure of rare occurrence and
does not seem to me to have been dealt with in the past in any way that can be
properly described as full. I took the view that if it is fully dealt with such
applications by tortfeasors will continue to be as rare here as they have been
in England. The one local case directly in point which I came across, namely,
Apenteng v. Bank of West Africa [1961] G.L.R. 81 to be dealt with later on in
this judgment does not appear to have been vigorously argued although in its
result the similar application therein made suffered the same fate as the
application herein and for reasons which although short and concise are in my
respectful opinion right.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>With this
preliminary observation I now proceed to give the full reasons why the
application was refused. This is a motion by the defendants-applicants
hereinafter called the applicants praying for an order of this court that a
certain limited liability Company, the Popular Merchants Co., Ltd., be joined
as third defendants to this action in which the plaintiff-respondent
hereinafter referred to as the respondent is claiming by his writ the rather
colossal sum of N¢50,000.00 damages for libel jointly and severally against the
said applicants. The respondent by his counsel has vigorously opposed the
application and in my view it is necessary to refer to the relevant paragraphs
of the pleadings in order to understand the reasons for the application and why
the respondent has so vehemently opposed it. The exercise will also high-light
the issues and enable the court to decide whether this is a proper case for
joinder.<o:p></o:p>In his
detailed statement of claim of twelve paragraphs filed on 8 April 1971, the
respondent averred in paragraphs (3) and (4) 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) By a
letter dated 22 February 1971 titled ‘suspension of appointment’ and circulated
to, inter alia, officials of the Barclays Bank D.C.O., Kumasi, Mr. Osei Bonsu,
Junior, and the accountant of the second defendants falsely and maliciously
published or caused to be published, of and concerning the plaintiff, and of
him in the way of his said office and/or business as such deputy managing
director of the second defendants and in relation to his conduct therein the following
words: ‘Certain information has reached us which requires investigation into.
In view of this, it has been decided to suspend your appointment with immediate
effect, to enable us investigate into the information. PARTICULARS (4) By the
words complained of in paragraph <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)
herein, the defendants meant, and were understood to mean, that the plaintiff
is not suited to the post of deputy managing director or director of the second
defendants and/or that the plaintiff in his capacity as such director had so
misconducted himself in a dishonest and/or fraudulent and/or disreputable
manner as to justify the said suspension.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This is
one head of claim. Another head of claim was formulated in paragraphs (5) and
(6) 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">“(5) By
another letter dated 30 March 1971 titled Re: T.A.T. Co., Ltd. v. Yourself and
circulated, inter alia, to Mr. Osei Bonsu, Junior, director, the accountant,
and secretary, respectively of the second defendants, the defendants falsely
and maliciously published or caused to be published, </main>