EJURA FARMS (GHANA) LTD. AND ANOTHER vs. HARLLEY [1975]DLCA383

Date	1975-11-27
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1975]DLCA383

SOWAH J.A

ARCHER J.A

ANIN J.A.

R. BANNERMAN FOR THE APPELLANTS.

R. KORSAH FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1975]DLCA383
																																						<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" >EJURA FARMS (GHANA) LTD. AND ANOTHER<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;vs. <o:p></o:p>HARLLEY<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1976] 1 GLR 158<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:
27 NOVEMBER 1975.<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">

R. BANNERMAN FOR THE APPELLANTS.<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">

SOWAH, ARCHER AND ANIN JJ.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ANIN J.A.<o:p></o:p>This is
an appeal by the first defendants from the ruling of the Accra High Court dated
27 June 1974 dismissing a motion filed by them under Order 25, r. 4 of the High
Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 1954 (L.N. 140A), and the court’s inherent
jurisdiction praying for an order striking out the plaintiff’s writ of summons
and statement of claim on the grounds that they are frivolous and vexatious and
that they do not disclose any cause of action against them. Since the sole
ground of appeal argued before us was that learned trial judge erred in holding
in his said ruling that the writ of summons and statement of claim do in fact
disclose a cause of action against the first defendants, it is necessary at the
outset to set out fully the material pleadings in the action.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>By his
writ of summons, the plaintiff herein claimed against both defendants the
following reliefs:<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) The
plaintiff has suffered damage by the defendants wrongfully depriving the
plaintiff of his five and a half per cent Government Stabilisation Stock
1981-86 for ¢30,000.00 and converting the same to their own use. <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)
Alternatively the plaintiff claims against the defendants ¢30,000.00 payable to
him by the defendants for money received by the defendants for the use of the
plaintiff. <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) The
plaintiff claims interest on the amount of the said stock at the rate of five
and a half per cent per annum from the date of payment to the first defendants
until payment or judgment.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
statement of claim reads thus:<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) The
plaintiff requested the second defendants to act as his agent to provide a
guarantee of ›30,000.00 to the first defendants, a company incorporated under
the laws of Ghana, in respect of a contract dated 13 April 1970 between the
first defendants and Aboasa Food Supplies Ltd. also a company incorporated
under the laws of Ghana and per a document dated 9 April 1970 offered his five
and a half per cent Government Stabilisation Stock 1981-86 for ›30,000.00 as
indemnity to the second defendants. <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) On 3
June 1970 without the knowledge and consent of the plaintiff and the second
defendants, the first defendants and Aboasa Food Supplies Ltd. entered into a
new agreement, and as per a letter dated 24 June 1970 proceeded to do business
under the said new agreement. <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 1 September 1970, the first defendants notified Aboasa Food
Supplies Ltd. of their intention to call for the payment of the guarantee
provided by the second defendants for breach of the later agreement. <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) On 2
September 1970 the first defendants wrongly (sic) wrongfully called for the
said guarantee from the second defendants. The second defendants paid and
reimbursed themselves with the plaintiff’s five and a half per cent Government
Stabilisation Stock for ›30,000.00, both the plaintiff and the second defendants
genuinely be (sic) believed that the claim was in respect of the agreement
dated 13 April 1970. <o:p></o:p>