[2004]DLCA6459 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">GEORGE KODUA<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">INTERBETON B.V.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CIVIL APPEAL NO.: HI/53/2004 DATE: 26<sup>TH</sup> NOVEMBER, 2004<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ADUAMA OSEI WITH E. OHENE GEORGETTE FRANCOIS FOR APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> GEORGE MENSAH WITH SAMUEL OPPONG FOR RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext;mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-bottom: 1.0pt;mso-padding-bottom-alt:1.0pt;border-bottom:1.5pt solid windowtext; mso-border-bottom-alt:1.5pt solid windowtext"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ARYEETEY JA, QUAYE JA, ANIN-YEBOAH JA.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;mso-border-between:1.5pt solid windowtext; mso-padding-between:1.0pt;padding-top:1.0pt;mso-padding-top-alt:0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">ANIN YEBOAH, JA <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This is an appeal from the High Court, Accra. The Plaintiff/Respondent (who shall simply be referred to in this judgment as the Respondent) commenced an action against the Defendant/Appellant (who shall simply be referred to as the Appellants) for several reliefs which according to the Respondent emanated from a contract in which the Respondent claimed was entitled to agency fees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> The pleadings in this case was not closed when this appeal was filed. The facts of this case are allegations of facts from the statement of claim filed on 31-1-2001 and several affidavits which parties filed together with some exhibits. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Respondent alleged that he acted as agent for and on behalf of the Appellant to promote activities leading to the signing of a contract for the construction of Kumasi - Mampong -Ejura- Yeji road project which contract had been awarded to the Appellant who was a foreign firm engaged by the government of Ghana to undertake the project. According to the Respondent, the agency fee agreed upon was two percent of the contract sum and it included variation orders, compensation, and for cost and fees. According to the Respondent, all the contractual obligations required to be performed by him were performed. It was pleaded as part of his case that the Appellants paid for first and second phases of the contract but declined to pay for the third phase and the refusal to pay culminated in the action at the High Court and eventually this appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> Upon service of the writ and statement of claim, the Appellants entered appearance under protest and pursuant to that filed a Motion on Notice on 21/2/2001 to set aside the writ of summons and statement of claim on the grounds that both of them did not disclose any reasonable cause of action, lack of capacity on the part of the Respondent and lastly prayed for the suit to be referred to arbitration. Several grounds were canvassed in the supporting affidavits for the reliefs prayed for in the motion. The learned trial judge on 26/4/2001 dismissed the application and held inter alia; that the writ and the statement of claim disclosed reasonable cause of action. It appears from the ruling, however, that even though the prayer for reference to arbitration was apparent on the motion, same was not considered and ruled upon as expected by counsel for the Appellants. On 3-5-2001, the Appellants filed another motion which prayed for only one relief: reference of the matter to arbitration and stay of proceedings. The trial judge on 28/5/2001 declined to stay proceedings and refer the matter to arbitration on the grounds that: "it was not fair on the part of the Respondent to travel to Geneva on arbitration."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> On 15-6-2001 the Appellants lodged an appeal against the ruling of 28-5-2001, which refused to stay proceedings. On the same 15-6-2001, the appellant lodged another appeal which was against the orders made by the trial judge in respect of interim orders preventing the payment of outstanding contract sums to the Appellants. This court differently constituted on 25-3-2004 made an order consolidating the two appeals for determination. I am inclined in this appeal to consider the grounds dealing with the trial judge's refusal to stay proceedings and refer the matter to an arbitration. Learned Counsel for the Appellant in his written submissions has argued all the three grounds together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> The basis of the prayer by the appellant for stay of proceeding and reference to an arbitration was founded on Exhibit "JS1." This Exhibit "JS1" is an Agency Agreement exhibited by he Appellants. This very exhibit was also exhibited by the Respondent as exhibit GK '1.' This concludes that both parties in my opinion are ad idem as to the Agency Agreement which was executed by them as the basis of the contract between them. It is dated 1-6-94. Paragraph 9 thereof states as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> 9. "In case of <u>any dispute between the parties</u>, they will refer the matter to arbitration under I.C.C. Rules of Arbitration, place of arbitration, Geneva, Switzerland, Swiss Law to apply."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> It has been the contention of the Respondent throughout this proceedings that there was no dispute to refer to arbitration and for that matter there was no need for stay of proceedings by the trial court. As said earlier, pleadings in this case would not close before this appeal was lodged. Indeed, as expected, the Appellants as Defend