MANSAH AND ANOTHER vs. DONKOR [1980]DLHC1086

Date	1980-01-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1980]DLHC1086

ROGER KORSAH J.

OSEI OWUSU-AFRIYIE FOR THE APPELLANTS.

W. K. ACKUN FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1980]DLHC1086
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MANSAH AND ANOTHER <o:p></o:p>vs. <o:p></o:p>DONKOR<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, KUMASI] <o:p></o:p>[1978] GLR 825<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:
11 JANUARY 1980<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">

OSEI OWUSU-AFRIYIE FOR THE APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>

W. K. ACKUN 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 1.0pt 0in">

ROGER KORSAH J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ROGER KORSAH J.<o:p></o:p>This is
an appeal from the judgment of the District Court Grade II, Offinso, delivered
on 11 July 1974.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff by his writ of summons claimed against the defendant ¢200 as damages
for trespass. By his statement of claim, however, he claimed that he was the:<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">“owner in
possession of a piece of farmland having food-stuffs planted thereon situate
lying and being on Offinso stool land at a place commonly known and called
‘Asuakoo-Akrofonso’ and which is bounded on the right by the property of Kwame
Manu, then public incinerator, and then public latrine and then public
cemetery, on the left by the property of Kwaku Forkuo and motor road.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In
support of his title, he claimed that his grandfather, Nana Appiah Osei,
originally acquired a large tract of land from Nana Akwamuhene of Offinso of
which the area in dispute formed a part. The grandfather cleared a parcel of
the said land and made a gift of the disputed area to his son—the plaintiff’s
father, Kwame Gyedua. Kwame Gyedua built a house on the land, planted oranges
and other cash crops and in turn made a gift of his interest in the said land
to the plaintiff. Thus the plaintiff put his title to the land in issue.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According
to the plaintiff, about two years before he instituted his action, the
defendant entered upon the said land and carried away large quantities of
food-stuff and continues plundering the land in spite of persistent warnings
from the plaintiff to desist from these acts of plunder. These are the acts of
the defendant which the plaintiff complains of as being wrongful and
trespassory.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
defendant on her part admitted going upon the said land and carrying away
food-stuff as alleged by the plaintiff, but denies that her acts are wrongful
or trespassory. She claims that she derives her title from the co-defendant and
that by an arbitration award in her favour the plaintiff is estopped from
asserting any claim to the disputed area.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant appeals against the judgment of the trial court on three main
grounds:<o:p></o:p>“1. that
the trial magistrate erred in not recalling the witnesses who were present at
the visit to the locus in quo to give evidence when the parties re-assembled
after the inspection;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2. the trial magistrate erred in basing his
judgment against the defendant and co-defendant on evidence wholly or partly
not on oath; and <o:p></o:p>3. the
trial magistrate misdirected himself on the burden of proof when he stated
that: ‘the court is to consider which of these two versions is true’.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>