THE REPUBLIC vs. NII ANDREW KOTEY NMASHIE AND JOYCELINE AYIKAI TAGOE EX-PARTE: NII ANDREW DSANE AND NII JELLISTER ARMAH AMARTEY [2007]DLCA6761

THE REPUBLIC vs. NII ANDREW KOTEY NMASHIE AND JOYCELINE AYIKAI TAGOE EX-PARTE:... [2007]DLCA6761

Date	2007-06-22
Suit No.	H1/71/2006
Citation No.	[2007]DLCA6761

ARYEETEY JA [PRESIDING]

TWENEBOA-KODUA JA

ANIN YEBOAH JA

MR. E.V.A. ADJETEY FOR THE APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS

MR. PROSPER NYAHE FOR THE RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS

[2007]DLCA6761
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NII ANDREW
KOTEY NMASHIE AND JOYCELINE AYIKAI TAGOE<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>EX-PARTE: NII
ANDREW DSANE AND NII JELLISTER ARMAH AMARTEY<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR. PROSPER NYAHE FOR THE
RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS <o:p></o:p>

ARYEETEY JA [PRESIDING], TWENEBOA-KODUA
JA, ANIN YEBOAH JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>TWENEBOA-KODUA,
JA. <o:p></o:p>The
Accra High Court presided over by Dzakpasu J. found the respondents/appellants
to have disobeyed the order of perpetual injunction decreed in a judgment of
Ofoe J., dated 12 June 2000. The High Court accordingly convicted the
appellants for contempt of court and imposed sentences as follows: the first
appellant was committed to prison for a term of 3 months and the second
appellant to “a fine of ¢20 million cedis or in default 1 month I.H.L.” <o:p></o:p>The
appellants have launched an appeal against the ruling of the High Court on
grounds as follows: <o:p></o:p>“1.
The learned High Court Judge erred in convicting the respondents/appellants
when the Director of Survey has not submitted his composite plans as demanded
by the court as per its own order dated 30 May 2005. <o:p></o:p>2.
The learned High Court Judge erred in convicting the respondents/appellants
when the identity of the area in respect of which the contempt was alleged to
have been committed is in doubt. <o:p></o:p>3.
The learned High Court Judge erred in holding that the respondents/appellants
were in contempt of court whilst the applicants in the contempt case by their
own sworn evidence categorically stated that the High Court Judgment delivered
by Justice Victor Ofoe in respect of the land the subject-matter of contempt
proceedings did not cover the 1st respondent/appellant’s family (Okunekatawele
Family) land. <o:p></o:p>4.
The sentence is excessive and harsh.” <o:p></o:p>The
appellants gave notice of additional grounds to come but they never did. <o:p></o:p>The
basic facts at the background of the case are offered here. The
applicants/Respondents in this appeal claim title to a parcel of land at
Amrahia (Maalejor). <o:p></o:p>This
title is founded on a judgment of Ofoe J. in suit No. L. 216/98 dated 12 June
2000. <o:p></o:p>The
respondents herein further claim that the 1st appellant alienated a portion of
the said parcel, described as family land, to the 2nd appellant. <o:p></o:p>The
1st appellant on the other hand has based his claim of title to the disputed
portion of the land on another judgment of the High Court, Accra presided over
by Akoto Bamfo (Mrs) J., (as she then was). The judgment of Her Lordship is
said to have been affirmed by both the Court of appeal and the Supreme Court.
As well the 1st appellant has interestingly given the location of the land in
dispute as Nanoman. <o:p></o:p>Of
further interest and/or importance is the fact that the 1st respondent has
twice sought to set aside Ofoe J’s judgment unsuccessfully. His application for
that purpose was first dismissed on 21 February 2001 by the Accra High Court in
a ruling. The 1st respondent strangely repeated the application in the High
Court and the repeat application was struck out on 22 March 2001. (See page 50
and pages 48 and 49 of the Record of appeal respectively). <o:p></o:p>It
seems convenient and appropriate to deal with the last or fourth ground of
appeal first. It was formulated as: “The sentence is excessive and harsh.” <o:p></o:p>