IN RE ASANTE (DECD); OWUSU vs. ASANTE [1993]DLSC752

Date	1993-12-14
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1993]DLSC752

ADADE JSC

ABBAN JSC

AMUA-SEKYI JSC

EDWARD WIREDU JSC

BAMFORD-ADDO JSC

CHARLES HAYFRON-BENJAMIN JSC

AMPIAH JSC

D O LAMPTEY FOR THE APPELLANT

N A O AMEGATCHER (WITH HIM KPATSA MISS BOAFO AND ARYEE) FOR THE RESPONDENT.

[1993]DLSC752
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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">IN RE ASANTE (DECD); OWUSU<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">ASANTE<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[1993-94] 2 GLR 271<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: 14
December 1993<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>D O LAMPTEY FOR THE APPELLANT<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">

N A O AMEGATCHER (WITH HIM KPATSA, MISS BOAFO AND ARYEE) FOR THE
RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

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

</div>JUDGMENT OF ADADE JSC<o:p></o:p>Major (Rtd) Kwame Asante died on 3 April 1990. A few months
afterwards the surviving spouse, Mrs Letitia Asante, and the eldest son, Yaw
Asante, applied to the High Court, Accra for letters of administrator to
administer the estate of the deceased. Madam Mary Owusu, described as a
concubine or a girlfriend of the deceased, applied to be joined as a
co-grantee, in the interest of her two children with the deceased, both of whom
are minors. The customary successor Philip Asante also applied to be joined in
his capacity as the successor. The latter’s application was not opposed. But
that of Mary Owusu was fiercely contested, especially by Mrs Letitia Asante,
the spouse. On 14 June 1991, the High Court (Kyemenu-Caiquo J) granted the
letters of administration to all four applicants jointly.<o:p></o:p>Yaw Asante and Letitia Asante appealed to the Court of Appeal
against the order of the High Court, claiming, principally, that Mary Owusu had
no locus standi in the proceedings, and ought not to have been joined to the
grant. Philip Asante did not appeal. Yaw Asante is said to have withdrawn his
appeal on 15 February 1992. “nine days prior to the hearing of the appeal on 24
February 1992.” So that only Mrs Letitia Asante remained as the appellant in
the Court of Appeal. In its judgment on 2 April 1992 in In re Asante (Decd);
Asante v Owusu [1992] 1GLR 119, CA the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal, and
removed Mary Owusu from the grant. The present appeal is by Mary Owusu against
the decision of the Court of Appeal. The respondent to this appeal is Letitia
Asante, the spouse.<o:p></o:p>The case presents an interesting mix of facts, all of which are
common ground. These may be briefly stated 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 deceased, Major (Rtd) Kwame Asante, died intestate on 3
April 1990. <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 deceased is survived by:<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:l8 level1 lfo9;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(a).&nbsp; a spouse, Mrs Letitia Asante;<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:l8 level1 lfo9;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(b).&nbsp; nine children; <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:l8 level1 lfo9;
border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(c).&nbsp; a parent, the deceased’s own
mother, Madam Akua Asantewa; and, of course, <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
5.0pt;margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;
mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo9;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">(d).
members of his ‘extended’ family. <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">