REPUBLIC vs. HIGH COURT, SEKONDI; EX PARTE PERKOH II [2002]DLCA1250

Date	2002-03-21
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2002]DLCA1250

BENIN JA

AKOTO-BAMFO JA

OWUSU-ANSAH JA

J B NABARENE FOR THE APPELLANT.

D D GWIRA FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[2002]DLCA1250
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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">REPUBLIC<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">HIGH COURT, SEKONDI; EX PARTE PERKOH II<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
2 GLR 460<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: 21 MARCH 2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>J B
NABARENE 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">

D D
GWIRA FOR THE RESPONDENTS. <o:p></o:p>

BENIN,
AKOTO-BAMFO AND OWUSU-ANSAH JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Benin JA. <o:p></o:p>The
facts of this case are as follows. On 20 March 1999 seven persons who claimed
to be kingmakers of the gyase stool family of Kokoase in the Western Region of
Ghana filed what was termed “statement of plaintiff’s case” before the judicial
committee of the Wassa Fiase Traditional Council (WFTC) at Tarkwa seeking the
destoolment of the respondent-appellant herein as the chief of the said town of
Kokoase. During the pendency of that matter, the plaintiffs therein applied for
an order of interim injunction against the appellant herein before the
traditional council seeking to restrain him “from acting as the chief of
Kokoase or parading as such pending the hearing and final determination of the
petition herein and for the appointment of the ebusuapanyin as the acting
chief. . .” It was filed on 27 July 1999. The record shows that the appellant
was served with a copy of this application on 28 July 1999. On 11 August 1999
the applicant-respondent herein applied to the High Court, Sekondi by motion ex
parte for leave to serve contempt proceedings on the respondent. The reasons or
the grounds for the application are contained in the affidavit in support, and
they provide:<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">“(5)
That with the service of a motion for interim injunction against him, I am
advised by counsel and verily believe the same to be true that the respondent
will cease performing any chiefly duties, eg collecting any money legitimately
due to the stool and its people. <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">(6)
That despite the existing motion for interim injunction, the respondent is
beating gong gong proclaiming that he has destooled all customary chiefly
office holders of Kokoase and saying that he cannot be destooled by the
kingmakers or any one else. <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">(7)
The respondent without the knowledge of his elders has collected and pocketed
¢l7 million being compensation paid by Bogoso Gold Ltd for the desecration of
tombs, graves and ancestral burial grounds.”<o:p></o:p>From
the above depositions, it is clear that the sole legal basis for the
application was that the appellant continued to perform the functions of a
chief notwithstanding the service on him of an application for interim
injunction seeking to restrain him from performing any such function. In other
words, the respondent’s contention was that the mere filing of an application
for an order of interim injunction was sufficient reason to prevent a
respondent from continuing to perform as a chief. And that he commits contempt
of court if he continues to exercise the functions of a chief from the moment
the application is served on him.<o:p></o:p>