GORMAN INVESTMENTS LTD. (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. OWNERS AND ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE VESSELS M.V. PARTNER AND M.V. KASSE & 2 ORS. (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) [2006]DLCA7117

GORMAN INVESTMENTS LTD. (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. OWNERS AND ALL PERSONS INTERE... [2006]DLCA7117

Date	2006-12-15
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.HI/55/04
Citation No.	[2006]DLCA7117

FARKYE J.A. (PRESIDING)

TWENEBOA-KODUA J.A

KANYOKE J.A

MR. K. BLAY FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

MRS. DELLA OBENG SEKYI FOR PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENT

[2006]DLCA7117
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >GORMAN INVESTMENTS LTD.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>OWNERS AND ALL PERSONS INTERESTED IN THE VESSELS M.V. PARTNER
AND M.V. KASSE &amp; 2 ORS.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO.HI/55/04 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 15TH DECEMBER, 2006<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
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<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
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DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;border:none;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">MRS. DELLA OBENG SEKYI FOR
PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>FARKYE
J.A. (PRESIDING), TWENEBOA-KODUA J.A, KANYOKE J.A<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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</div>KANYOKE J.A <o:p></o:p>This
appeal originated from the judgment of the High Court, Tema dated the 31st day
of January 2003. In that court the plaintiffs/respondents (hereafter referred
to as the respondents) filed a writ of summons claiming against the
defendants/appellants (hereinafter called the appellants) the following
reliefs;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“(a) An order compelling defendants to pay for
necessaries supplied to the defendants vessels by plaintiff and<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(b) General damages for breach of contract to
jointly manage and/or operate the defendant vessels”. <o:p></o:p>The writ of summons was
accompanied by a statement of claim. The brief facts of the case are that by an
agreement signed on the 30th day of October 1999 between Tally Trade and
Services of L.L of Delaware, United States of America (USA) represented by a
Mr. Jean Heinmets and the respondent herein, the Tally Trade and Services was
to deliver two fishing vessels i.e. Partner one and Kasse to the port of Tema
from Estonia to be operated jointly with the respondents. The said agreement
which was tendered as exhibit A conferred certain rights and obligations on
both parties. One of these obligations was that the respondents were to obtain
fishing licenses for the vessels upon their arrival in Ghana to enable them
operate. The respondents however failed to obtain the requisite licenses for
the operation of the vessels when they arrived at the port of Tema in Ghana.
The appellants therefore on their own obtained licenses and commenced
operations. Displeased with the conduct of the appellants, the respondents
filed a suit at the High Court, Tema titled Gorman’s Investments Ltd v. Jean
Heinmets and three others claiming against the appellants the following
reliefs;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;"(a) Specific performance of agreement
entered in respect of the vessels M/V Kasse and Partner 1 and <o:p></o:p>(b) An order compelling defendants to
pay all the debts as agreed upon with interest at current bank rates."<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This suit was eventually settled between the
parties resulting in the court accepting the settlement and entering it as
consent judgment on the 20th January 2000. Under the consent judgment both
parties were to jointly operate the vessels in terms of the Agreement signed
between them in 1999. Subsequently the respondents alleged that the appellants
were sailing the vessels out of the territorial waters of Ghana in a bid to
abscond. Consequently upon an application made to the court, the vessels were
arrested by officials of the Ghana Navy and brought back to the port of Tema
upon an order of the court. Then on the 8th day of February 2000 the
respondents instituted this action against the appellants herein claiming the
reliefs above quoted. <o:p></o:p>The appellants resisted
the action and filed a statement of defence and counterclaim. In that statement
the appellants counterclaimed for; <o:p></o:p>“(a) Damages for breach of the
contract dated 30/7/1999. <o:p></o:p>(b) General damages for breach and for
unlawful arrest of the vessels and incidental expenses incurred by defendants
thereby.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(c) Further or other reliefs as in the
circumstances may be just.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Summons for directions and additional issues
were subsequently filed by the parties but before they could be taken, the
respondents on the 28th day of March 2001 applied and were granted leave to
amend the endorsement on the writ of summons and paragraph 4 of the statement
of claim and serve same within ten (10) days on the appellants. But the
respondents filed the amended processes on the 23rd day of April 2001 i.e.</main>