LARYEA vs. OFORIWAH [1986]DLCA938

Date	1986-12-11
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1986]DLCA938

PETER A ADJETEY FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT.

R AGODZO FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT.

[1986]DLCA938
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

LARYEA<o:p></o:p>

{COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA} <o:p></o:p>

[1984-86] 2 GLR 410<o:p></o:p>

DATE:
11 DECEMBER 1986<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>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">

PETER
A ADJETEY FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANT. <o:p></o:p>

R
AGODZO FOR THE PLAINTIFF-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">

ABBAN, OSEI-HWERE AND AMPIAH JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ABBAN J. A.<o:p></o:p>The
dispute related to a piece of land at Lartebiokorshie in Accra which land
formed part and parcel of Sempe stool land, a fact which both parties
acknowledged. Indeed the respondent (hereafter called the plaintiff) claimed to
have bought the land from the Sempe stool through its occupant Nii Tetteh
Kpeshie II and his elders; while the appellant (hereafter called the defendant)
averred that the same piece of land was granted to him by Kpakpo Moffat,
Dzasetse of the Sempe stool.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff sought a declaration of title to the said land. She also claimed
damages for trespass and an order for injunction. I refer to the relevant
portions of the amended statement of claim which read 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) The
plaintiff is the owner of all that piece of land as per plan attached. <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
plaintiff was granted that land by the Sempe stool by a sale in 1950. (2A) In
September 1976, a deed registered as No 4179/1977 was executed by the Sempe
stool to evidence the said sale. <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 was put in possession and has remained in possession undisturbed till
recently disturbed by the defendant.<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
defendant has trespassed on the said land by trying to build on it.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In his
amended statement of defence, the defendant denied the plaintiff’s claim and in
paragraph (2) of the said amended statement of defence, the defendant averred:<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
defendant does not admit paragraph (2) of the statement of claim and says that
if the grant referred to in the said paragraph was made, which is not admitted,
the same conferred no title to the land in dispute on the plaintiff since by
the judgment of the Native Court B dated 11 September 1948, in the case of Nii
Kpakpo Moffat and Others v Nii Tetteh Kpeshie II, the Sempe Mantse was not
competent to make a valid alienation of Sempe stool lands without the consent
of the said Nii Kpakpo Moffat which consent was neither sought nor given in the
case of the plaintiff’s alleged grant.<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">&nbsp;(3) The defendant denies that the deed No
4179/1977 was executed by the Sempe stool to evidence an alleged sale of the
land in dispute to the plaintiff or at all.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>In the
remaining paragraphs of the amended statement of defence, the defendant
contended that he had obtained his grant from the same Sempe stool through Nii
Kpakpo Moffat, Dzasetse of the stool, over 30 years ago.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>