OBAAHEMA NANA KRAB II vs. EMMANUEL SWANZY-KRAH [2007]DLCA6546

Date	2007-03-29
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/133/06
Citation No.	[2007]DLCA6546

QUAYE J. A. (PRESIDING)

HONYENUGA J. A.

ADUAMA OSEI J. A

[2007]DLCA6546
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OBAAHEMA NANA KRAB II<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EMMANUEL SWANZY-KRAH<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO: H1/133/06&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: 29TH MARCH, 2007<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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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;&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>

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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-indent:.5in;
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mso-padding-between:1.0pt">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HONYENUGA
JA<o:p></o:p>The brief facts of this
appeal is that the Stool of Butumagyebu represented by the plaintiff/appellant
is the lessor of the defendant/respondent in respect of plot number 100A. This
transaction was reduced into writing. The disputed land which is unnumbered
lies at the frontage of plot number 100A. The defendant/respondent leveled the
land to commence a block manufacturing enterprise and so placed a Metal
Container on it. When questioned by the plaintiff/appellants through letters
and other medium, the defendant/respondent claimed that he had purchased that
portion of the land from a deceased head of the plaintiff/appellant’s family. <o:p></o:p>The defendant/respondent
also claimed that the unnumbered plot was part of an area reserved for road and
public utility service and therefore the land belonged to him. The
plaintiff/appellant’s family dissatisfied with the turn of events caused a Writ
of Summons which was later amended to be issued against the
defendant/respondent claiming the following reliefs:—<o:p></o:p>“1. For trespass to part
of its stool land situated in the Butumagyebu area bounded on all sides by
Butumagyebu stool land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2. Damages for trespass. <o:p></o:p>3. Perpetual Injunction
restraining the Defendant in any way trespassing”. <o:p></o:p>The defendant/respondent
on the other hand in his amended Statement of Defence maintained that he
purchased the disputed land from the Ebusuapanyin of Butumagyebu through Kwesi
Essien, a nephew of the late Ebusuapanyin Kofi Kor. He further averred that he paid
for fruits and other crops on the land to others who owned them. The
defendant/respondent contended that the disputed land is encompassed by the
Highway road reserved for roads and other utility services. The
defendant/respondent denied the trespass and rather challenged the capacity of
the plaintiff/appellant. <o:p></o:p>The learned trial Judge
dismissed the plaintiff’s claim and held that the land is public land reserved
for way leaves. He also held that the plaintiff lacked capacity and that both
parties had no authority over the disputed land. <o:p></o:p>The plaintiff being
dissatisfied with the judgment dated the 6th day of December, 2006 lodged the
instant appeal on the following grounds:—<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;1. The Learned Trial Judge ought not to have
dismissed the plaintiff’s claim. <o:p></o:p>2. The cost of
¢20,000,000.00 awarded against the plaintiff is not justified. <o:p></o:p>3. The judgment is
seriously against the weight of evidence adduced at the trial.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In this appeal, I shall refer to the Plaintiff
as the Appellant and the Defendant as the Respondent. I intend dealing with the
first and third grounds of appeal together that is “1. The Learned Trial Judge
ought not to have dismissed the plaintiff’s claim and 3. The judgment is
seriously against the weight of evidence adduced at the trial”. The lawyer for
the appellant submitted that this court should disturb the findings of fact
made by the trial court. Mr. Baffour Dwumah, the Lawyer for the appellant
rightly cited the case of Bonney v Bonney [1992-93] GBLR 779 SC Holding 4 which
dealt with the circumstances in which the appellate court ought to interfere
with the findings of fact by the trial court. The Supreme Court thus stated the
law as follows:— <o:p></o:p>“The argument that an
appeal was a rehearing and therefore the appellate court was entitled to make a
rehearing and therefore the appellate court was entitled to made its own mind
on the facts and draw inferences from them might well be so but an appeal court
ought not under any circumstance interfere with the findings of fact by the
trial Judge except where they were clearly shown to be wrong, or that the Judge
did not take all the circumstance and evidence into account, or had
misrepresented some wrong inferences without any evidence in support or had not
taken proper advantage of his having seen or heard the witnesses”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In the instant case, the trial Judge made a
finding of fact that:<o:p></o:p>(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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