REPUBLIC vs. OBENEY [2002]DLCA1254

Date	2002-12-19
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2002]DLCA1254

ADINYIRA JA

OWUSU-ANSAH JA

ADDO JA

ARCHER FOR THE APPELLANT.

MRS MARGARET ACHEAMPONG FOR THE RESPONDENTS.

[2002]DLCA1254
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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">OBENEY<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>[2001-2002]
2 GLR 206<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: 19 DECEMBER 2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ARCHER
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">

MRS
MARGARET ACHEAMPONG FOR THE RESPONDENTS.
<o:p></o:p>

ADINYIRA,
OWUSU-ANSAH AND ADDO JJA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>Addo JA. <o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal from an order of the High Court, Accra presided over by Ebiasah J.
The order of the court which gave rise to the present interlocutory appeal
stemmed from an order of committal for contempt of the respondents by the court
dated 26 November 2001. The court had earlier on 18 February 2000 in the suit
entitled Anum v Obeney placed an injunction on both the appellant and the
respondents, their agents and assigns from interfering with the land the
subject matter of the suit. The respondents having been found in contempt of
the orders of the High Court dated 18 February 2000, were accordingly on 26
November 2001 sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 21 days. This is what the
court said at page 50 of the record of proceedings:<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">“Based
upon respondents’ admission in their affidavit in opposition of 15 October
2001,I find the respondents herein, David Odartey Obeney and Bismark Dodoo in
contempt of the orders of this court made on 18 February 2000. Accordingly, I
sentence the respondents to a term of imprisonment for 21 days. They are to be
taken to Nsawam medium security prison to serve the sentence.”<o:p></o:p>The
following day after the sentence, 27 November 2001, an application for bail
pending appeal was filed on behalf of the contemnors. On 29 November 2001, the
application was dismissed after it had been heard by the court below.
Undettered, the solicitor for the contemnors, filed an application on behalf of
the contemnors for a review of the order of the court dated 26 November 2001.<o:p></o:p>The
appellant opposed the application for review but on 6 December 2001 when the
application came up for hearing, the court below after hearing both counsels
for applicant and respondents granted the application for review and reviewed
its order dated 26 November 2001 as follows: “It is hereby ordered that the
contemnors herein purge themselves of the contempt of the court and the said
undertaking is to be filed in court today.” The court further ordered thus:<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">“Bail
is hereby granted to each of the contemnors David Odartey Obeney and Bismark
Dodoo in the sum of ¢5 million with a surety each. It is ordered that the
contemnors purge themselves of their contempt before 16 January 2002 and report
to the court at that time.”<o:p></o:p>Pursuant
to the order of the court dated 6 December 2001, the contemnors filed an
undertaking in the court as follow:<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"></main>