PAUL MEIER & TRAPEQ LIMITED vs. CHEDJI BARNABE & ZOUNON ALAIN [2008]DLCA6585

Date	2008-05-22
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/15/2007
Citation No.	[2008]DLCA6585

OWUSU [MS] PRESIDING]

A. ASARE KORANG JA

DUOSE JA

MR. GYAN K. BAAFOUR FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

MR. OBENG MANU JNR. FOR THE DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2008]DLCA6585
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >PAUL MEIER &amp; TRAPEQ
LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CHEDJI BARNABE &amp;
ZOUNON ALAIN<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/15/2007&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 22ND MAY, 2008<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. GYAN K. BAAFOUR FOR
THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;MR. OBENG MANU JNR. FOR THE
DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS<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;<o:p></o:p>

</div><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>A.ASARE KORANG, JA<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;On the 11th day of May 2006, the High Court,
Kumasi gave judgment dismissing the claim of the 2nd plaintiff – Company, 2nd
appellant herein and found for the 1st and 2nd defendants, respondents herein
on their counterclaim on the basis that the respondents had proved their case
on the balance of probabilities and were entitled to succeed.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In favour of the 1st respondent, CHEDJI
BARNABE, the learned trial judge made the following awards: <o:p></o:p>a.
“The plaintiff company will pay to the 1st defendant an amount equal to thirty
six months salary as damages for wrongful termination of the appointment of the
1st defendant.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;b. The plaintiff company will also pay the sum
of 500,000 US Dollars to the 1st defendant as his end of service benefits.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;For the benefit of the 2nd respondent, ZOUNON
ALAIN, the awards were in these terms:— <o:p></o:p>c.
“The plaintiff Company will pay an amount equal to thirty six months salary as
damages for the appointment (sic) of the 2nd defendant.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;d. The 2nd defendant is also entitled to
recover from the plaintiff Company the sum of 125,000 US Dollars and one Nissan
Terrano vehicle No GT 7857 Q as his end of service benefit.” <o:p></o:p>The
trial judge then ordered the plaintiff-company to pay costs of ¢15,000,000.00
to the defendants. <o:p></o:p>This
judgment was founded upon a writ of summons first issued by the 1st plaintiff,
PAUL MEIER, on 24th January 2003 against the defendants, which was endorsed for
the following claims:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;a. “An order to restrain the defendants………from
interfering with the management, administration or the running of Trapeq
Limited until the affairs of the company have been investigated by the
plaintiff. <o:p></o:p>b.
General damages for interference resulting in serious financial loss to the
company. <o:p></o:p>On
30th January 2003, the defendants entered an appearance to the writ and that
same day filed a statement of Defence and counterclaimed as follows:- <o:p></o:p>a.
“10% of the cumulative value of the assets of TRAPEQ LTD. <o:p></o:p>b.
2nd defendant counterclaims for US$125,000 plus Nissan Terrano No. GT 7857 Q.”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;On 10th February 2003, Trapeq Limited was by
order of the trial court joined to the suit as 2nd plaintiff and the 1st
plaintiff as a necessary concomitant of the order of joinder amended his writ
of summons to reflect the fact that TRAPEQ LIMITED was in the suit as 2nd
plaintiff. <o:p></o:p>Thereafter
the plaintiffs filed a Reply and Defence to the counterclaim on the same date
and time that they filed a summons for directions. In the Reply and Defence to
the counterclaim, the plaintiffs denied that the 2nd plaintiff made any promise
to give 10% of the cumulative assets of Trapeq Ltd. and Roadgrip Ltd. to the
Defendants. The plaintiffs averred that Roadgrip is a limited liability co</main>