ROSEMOND SALEMI AKIL & THOMAS MARMAH MARTEYE vs. ARISTOTLE KOTEY [2008]DLCA6938

Date	2008-12-19
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/82/2007
Citation No.	[2008]DLCA6938

PIESARE JA [PRESIDING]

DUOSE JA

ADDOH JA

MR. G.A. SARPONG FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

MR. K.K. AMPOFO FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2008]DLCA6938
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ROSEMOND SALEMI AKIL &amp; THOMAS MARMAH MARTEYE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ARISTOTLE KOTEY<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL - ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>CIVIL
APPEAL NO.: H1/82/2007&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;DATE: 19TH DECEMBER, 2008<o:p></o: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="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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">COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;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">&nbsp;MR. G.A. SARPONG
FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS. <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: &nbsp;<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">

PIESARE JA [PRESIDING], DUOSE JA,
ADDOH JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;ADDOH, JA :<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiffs/Appellants were the administrators of the Estate of the late
Kingsley Emmanuel Frimpong. They procured L/A from the High Court on 25th
April, 1995. Sometime in 1996 the plaintiffs/appellants per their solicitors
engaged the services of the defendant, a practicing lawyer in Houston, Texas,
USA to pursue a claim in the court of law in the USA against the owner and
insurers of the vessel M/V Shelby star which sank in the Atlantic Ocean killing
the deceased who was a sailor on board. The defendant advertently or inadvertently
failed to pursue the claim. Consequently, the plaintiffs/appellants sued him
for his negligence in Houston court. The defendant was found liable and damages
were assessed in his presence in the court. The plaintiffs/appellants were
awarded an amount of $US 9,500 plus interest at the rate of 2.7% per annum. <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiffs/appellants issued a writ of summons on 08/0703 against the
Defendant/Respondent in the High Court, Accra to demand the judgment debt and
interest from the defendant/respondent. Their claim endorsed was for:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The sum of US$9,500 or its cedi equivalent
being damage for negligence awarded against the defendant in Civil action No.
H-00-3988; Rosemond Salemi Akil and Thomas Marmah Marteye VRS. Aristolesic
Kotey, USA, Texas Houston division.<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Interest on the said sum of US$9,500 or its
cedi equivalent at the compound rate of 2.7% per annum from 5th April, 20008
till date of final payment plus costs. <o:p></o:p>After
deliberations, judgment went against the Plaintiffs/Appellants. They asked for
a review but that also did not yield dividends; hence the instant appeal. <o:p></o:p>Grounds
of Appeal:<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The rulings are against the weight of
evidence <o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The learned judge erred in ignoring the
common law principles that a defendant duly served with process while present
in a foreign country commendable to the jurisdiction of its courts so as to be
bound by their judgment </main>