BOATENG ASANTE vs. SCANSHIP GHANA LTD. [2011]DLCA5694

Date	2011-12-01
Suit No.	SUIT NO.: H1/16/2011
Citation No.	[2011]DLCA5694

G. M. QUAYE JA (PRESIDING)

YAW APPAU JA

DENNIS D. ADJEI JA

MR. OSAFO-BUABENG FOR DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS

MR. FRIMPONG BUADU FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2011]DLCA5694
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BOATENG ASANTE<o:p></o:p>[PLAINTIFF/
RESPONDENT]<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SCANSHIP GHANA LTD.<o:p></o:p>[DEFENDANT/
APPELLANT]<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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SUIT
NO.: H1/16/2011&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 1st DECEMBER, 2011<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. OSAFO-BUABENG FOR
DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
FRIMPONG BUADU FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>G. M. QUAYE JA
(PRESIDING), YAW APPAU JA, DENNIS D. ADJEI JA<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>DENNIS
D. ADJEI JA<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against
the judgment of the High Court, Accra (Financial<o:p></o:p>Division) dated 29th
January, 2010. For the purposes of this appeal the Plaintiff/Respondent would
be referred to as the Plaintiff and the Defendant/Appellant as the Defendant.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff per his writ
of summons filed on 31st May 1996 claimed against the Defendant for:<o:p></o:p>a)
Damages for breach of contract and<o:p></o:p>b)
And/or in the alternative damages for negligence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The brief facts of the
case are that, the Plaintiff, an architect who is a Ghanaian lived in Germany
for twenty-eight (28) years. He finally, decided to settle in Ghana in 1990. He
instructed his wife in Germany to ship all his personal belongings to him in
Ghana. The shipper shipped the goods consigned to the Plaintiff through OTB
Overseas Transport. The Defendant herein was an agent of OTB Overseas
Transport. The Plaintiff after waiting for about two (2) years without hearing
about the goods instructed his lawyers to inquire about the whereabouts of the
goods. His lawyers found that the goods arrived in Ghana on 11 th November,
1990.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff contacted
the Defendant and the Defendant informed him that it sent Arrival Notice to the
Plaintiff to inform him about the arrival of his goods but he failed to clear
same and after several months had lapsed the goods were sent to the state warehouse
to be auctioned as unclaimed as required by law. The Plaintiff got to know that
he did not receive the Arrival Notice because of the wrong postal address that
was used by the Defendant. The Plaintiff’s name on the arrival notice was
equally wrong.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According to the
Plaintiff, he provided his address as: BOATENG
ASANTE<o:p></o:p>C/O
MR. AGYEKUM, P O BOX 5926, ACCRA. The Arrival Notice however
had a wrong name and postal address and if the Arrival Notice was posted at
all, it went to a wrong letter box. The address on the Arrival<o:p></o:p>Notice is as follows:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>“BOATENG
ASANTE<o:p></o:p>C/O
MR. AGYEKUM<o:p></o:p>P
O BOX 5296<o:p></o:p>ACCRA”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff therefore
sued the Defendant for the loss of his goods, which were auctioned by Custom
Excise and Preventive Service.<o:p></o:p>On 29 th January, 2010, the
High Court gave judgment in favour of the<o:p></o:p>Plaintiff under the
following headings:<o:p></o:p>General Damages -
GH¢5,000.00<o:p></o:p>Special Damages -
DM781,000.00<o:p></o:p>Cost - GH¢2,000.00<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>