IN RE AGYEPONG (DECD.); DONKOR AND OTHERS vs. AGYEPONG [1973]DLCA2386

Date	1973-12-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1973]DLCA2386

APALOO JA

AMISSAH JA

SOWAH J.A.

U. V. CAMPBELL (AKAINYAH WITH HIM) FOR THE APPELLANTS.

DR. DE GRAFT-JOHNSON (DR. OHENE DJAN WITH HIM) FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1973]DLCA2386
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >IN RE AGYEPONG (DECD.); DONKOR AND OTHERS <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>AGYEPONG <o:p></o:p>[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;[1973]
1 GLR 326<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

DATE:
11 DECEMBER 1972.<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">

U. V. CAMPBELL (AKAINYAH WITH HIM) FOR THE APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

DR. DE GRAFT-JOHNSON (DR. OHENE DJAN WITH HIM) 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">

APALOO, AMISSAH AND SOWAH JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF APALOO J.A.<o:p></o:p>Apaloo
J.A. delivered the judgment of the court. The late Joseph Kofi Agyepong died at
Takoradi on 20 December 1971. Although he seems to have hailed from Kumasi, the
evidence suggests that he lived at Takoradi, where he had considerable
property. He contracted a marriage under the provisions of the Marriage
Ordinance, Cap. 127 (1951 Rev.), on 6 October 1956 with the respondent. There
are two issues of that marriage a girl and a boy both of whom are infants,
their ages being fourteen and seven years respectively. The deceased was
survived by his widow and these children. He died intestate.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On 13
January 1972, the respondent as the widow and lawful relict of the deceased,
applied to the High Court, Kumasi, for letters of administration to administer
the estate of her husband. That application came before the court on 18
January, and the court made an order acceding to the application on condition
that “the usual notices” be filed. These were filed and as a result two persons
and a limited company all acting by the same solicitor filed caveats against
the grant. They were Afua Donkor, Kwame Abosi and Broadway Cinema and Hotel
Co., Ltd. The registrar, acting in accordance with Order 60, r. 18 of the
Supreme [High] Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1954 (L.N. 140A), warned each of
these three persons to “file affidavits setting forth your interest in this
matter.” In response to this, affidavits were sworn to by Afua Donkor the
caveatrix, Emmanuel Victor Addo-Boamah and James Emmanuel Aggrey. These two
gentlemen described themselves as “Law clerk” and “secretary to Beyin Chambers”
respectively. It is plain from the affidavits that the caveatrix and caveators
were merely concerned in laying claim to properties which the widow had
included in the inventory as the property of the intestate. Thus the caveatrix
Afua Donkor swore that:<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
deceased J. K. Agyepong, Esq., was my uncle and was originally the lessee of
plot 38 Mbrom, Kumasi. <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) On or
about 9 June 1970, the said J. K. Agyepong after obtaining the necessary
consent assigned the said plot to me. <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">(4) The
said assignment was duly registered. <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) The
inclusion of house number 38 in the list of properties of the deceased by the
applicant is therefore wrongful and a slander of my title to the said
property.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
affidavit of interest filed on behalf of the limited liability company was
sworn to by Victor Addo-Boamah who swore that he had been authorised by an
entity he did not disclose. He states in paragraph (2) that “I am informed and
verily believe that the undermentioned properties belong to the Broadway Cinema
and Hotel Co., Ltd.” He then listed nine cinema buildings and concluded, “I
therefore swear to this affidavit.” The affidavit of interest sworn to by the
second of the law clerks, namely, James Emmanuel Aggrey reads 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">“(1) I am
secretary to Beyin Chambers and I have authority to swear to this affidavit.
(2) I am informed and verily believe that the undermentioned properties belong
to the family.”<o:p></o:p>