GHANA PORTS AND HARBOURS AUTHORITY vs. ISSOUFOU [1993]DLSC748

Date	1993-12-07
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1993]DLSC748

ARCHER CJ JSC

AMUA-SEKYI JSC

AIKINS JSC

EDWARD WIREDU JSC

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JSC

AMPIAH JSC

NANA AKUFO-ADDO FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANTS.

ENOCH KOM (WITH HIM Y O OBENG) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT.

[1993]DLSC748
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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">GHANA PORTS AND HARBOURS AUTHORITY<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">ISSOUFOU<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1993-94] 1 GLR 24<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:right;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">Date: 7TH
DECEMBER 1993<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NANA AKUFO-ADDO FOR THE DEFENDANT-APPELLANTS.<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">

ENOCH KOM (WITH HIM Y O OBENG) FOR THE PLAINTIFF-RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

ARCHER CJ, AMUA-SEKYI, AIKINS, EDWARD WIREDU, BAMFORD-ADDO,
CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN AND AMPIAH JJSC<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGMENT ARCHER CJ<o:p></o:p>I have read beforehand the opinion prepared by my brother Aikins
JSC and I agree with his reasoning and his conclusion that the respondent is
entitled to the remedies he seeks. My brother Hayfron-Benjamin JSC has also
placed at my disposal his contribution with which I agree and I have nothing to
add.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT
AMUA-SEKYI JSC.<o:p></o:p>I agree that the appeal of the defendants be dismissed and the
application of the plaintiff for a variation of the judgment be allowed.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT AIKINS
JSC.<o:p></o:p>This appeal is from the concurrent judgment of the High Court and
the Court of Appeal upholding the claim of the plaintiff, as against the
defendants, for the value of 1,412 bags of rice at $36.54 per bag short
delivered plus interest of sixteen per cent. It is significant to observe,
however, that almost all the arguments urged before this court were canvassed
in the Court of Appeal, thereby raising a number of legal issues for
determination by this court, namely (1) the capacity of the plaintiff to sue,
(2) the liability of the defendants for the loss of the goods short delivered;
(3) whether there was a subsisting contract between the parties within the
meaning of section 7 of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority Law, 1986 (PNDCL
160), and (4) whether or not the goods were in transit to attract the
application of the Customs Regulations, 1976 (LI 1060).<o:p></o:p>The facts of the suit are straightforward. In April 1980 the
plaintiff, a citizen of Burkina Faso, imported a quantity of rice from
Pakistan. The rice was shipped per MV Gulf Heron, and on arrival at the Port of
Tema it was discharged by the Ghana Cargo Handling Co Ltd into the transit shed
stocking area of the Ghana Ports Authority, Tema. The rice was short delivered
by 1,412 bags, and as both the Ghana Cargo Handling Co Ltd and the Ghana Ports
Authority denied liability, the plaintiff issued a writ against them for
recovery of the rice short delivered. Both defendants put the blame for short
delivery on each other.<o:p></o:p>However, in June 1986 while the suit was pending, PNDCL 160 was
promulgated merging the two defendant-institutions and the Takoradi Lighterage
Co Ltd into one body corporate named Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority. As a
result, the title of the suit was amended to make the Ghana Ports and Harbours
Authority the defendants.<o:p></o:p>After an exhaustive examination of the facts and the law involved
in this case, the learned trial High Court judge gave judgment for the plaintiff
for the value of the 1,412 bags of rice in US dollars plus interest of sixteen
per cent from the date of the original writ, ie 27 March 1981 to the date of
judgment, but declined to grant the claim for customs duty and handling charges
paid on the rice short delivered together with the twenty per cent interest on
the amount claimed.<o:p></o:p>Aggrieved by this judgment, the defendants appealed to the Court
of Appeal, and the plaintiff also asked for a variation of the decision of the
High Court for the value of the 1,412 bags of rice from 27 March 1981, the date
of the issue of the writ, instead of 1 June 1980 when the cause of action
arose, plus sixteen per cent interest as bank charges, and for judgment in
respect of port charges, etc. for the undelivered 1,412 bags of rice together
with twenty per cent interest from June 1980 to the date of judgment.<o:p></o:p>