GENERAL PORTFOLIO LTD. AND OTHERS vs. GHANA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION [1992]DLHC2018

Date	1992-05-28
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1992]DLHC2018

ASARE KORANG J.

E. D. KOM FOR THE FOURTH DEFENDANT-APPLICANT.

T. A. NELSON-COFIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT.

[1992]DLHC2018
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">GENERAL PORTFOLIO LTD. AND OTHERS<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">GHANA NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, TEMA]<o:p></o:p>[1992] 2 GLR 138<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">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>E. D. KOM FOR THE FOURTH DEFENDANT-APPLICANT.<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">

T. A. NELSON-COFIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

ASARE KORANG J. <o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT OF ASARE KORANG J.<o:p></o:p>Proceeding by an ordinary writ of summons unaccompanied by a
statement of claim, the plaintiff-respondents (hereinafter referred to as the
plaintiff-corporation) filed a suit in this court on 23 April 1992 against the
defendants for:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “damages of ¢2 billion for
defamation of the plaintiff-corporation and a number of its officers
particularly its chairman and acting chief executive consisting of libellous
statements contained in a series of articles and an editorial appearing in the
pages of The Ghanaian Chronicle newspaper as follows: (i) 6-12 April issue
(Vol. 1, No. 31) ‘TSATSU TSIKATA AND THE MESS AT G.N.P.C.’ (ii) 13-19 April
issue (Vol. 1, No. 32) Editorial ‘PROBE G.N.P.C. BEFORE INDEMNITY HOUR DAWNS.’
(iii) 20-26 April issue (Vol. 1, No. 33) ‘TO SIR WITH LOVE’; and <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo2;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants, their servants,
agents and assigns from repeating the said libellous statements or uttering or
publishing any other like or similar libel of the plaintiff.”<o:p></o:p>The third and fourth defendant-applicants (hereinafter referred to
as the fourth defendant) entered a conditional appearance to the writ on 6 May
and 7 May 1992 respectively while the first and second defendants caused
unconditional appearance to be filed on their behalf on 6 May 1992. The fourth
defendant followed up with a motion on notice for the transfer of the suit in
accordance with the High Court (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules, 1977 (L.I.
1107) from the High Court, Tema to the High Court, Accra.<o:p></o:p>In his opening argument on behalf of the fourth defendant, Mr. Kom
indicated that the application was bicephalous in substance. In the first
place, counsel contended that all the defendants work and reside in Accra and
by virtue of rule 1 (6) of L.I. 1107, the action should be commenced where the
defendant resides or carries on business. Where, however, there are two or more
High Courts in a region, counsel argued, then the action must be commenced
where the defendant resides. Therefore, appropriately, this action by the
plaintiff-corporation should have been commenced in Accra.<o:p></o:p>The second head relied on by Mr. Kom was in respect of a writ
pending in the High Court, Accra in suit No. 863/92 filed on 22 April 1992, a
copy of which was attached to the affidavit sworn to by the fourth defendant in
support of his application. The said writ is headed:<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">“Tsatsu Tsikata&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; } 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;text-indent:85.2pt;mso-pagination:none;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">v <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;
text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(1). Kofi Coomson&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; }<o:p></o:p>