[2011]DLCA6552 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">OIL TEST SERVICES LIMITED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">SALTPOND OFFSHORE PRODUCING CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CIVIL APPEAL NO. HI/8/2011 DATE: 3RD NOVEMBER, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></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="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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="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"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">MR. ATTA AKYEA WITH HIM RALPH POKU ADUSEI FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="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"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> MRS. DELA QUARSHIE TWUM FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">QUAYE J.A. (PRESIDING), MARFUL-SAU J.A., HONYENUGA J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></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" align="center" style="text-align:center;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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">HONYENUGA, J.A. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This is an appeal by the defendant/appellant from the decision of the High Court, Tema dated the 10th day of December, 2008. The said Court ordered the defendant/appellant to pay the sum of US$977,308.18 being the amount due and owing to the plaintiff for services rendered to the defendant. The Court also decreed that the payment sum of US$92,165.59 being interest on the principal sum and finally, a further interest of 5% per annum on the same principal sum from 11th December 2008 to the date of judgment against the defendant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> The facts of this appeal are that the plaintiff/respondent whom I shall hereinafter refer to as the respondent is a limited liability company registered in Nigeria and carries on the business of oil and gas as well as testing services among others. The defendant whom I shall hereinafter refer to as the appellant is a limited liability company in Ghana and carries on the business of oil exploration among others. By an agreement entered between the parties on the 21st June 2000, the respondent bound itself to render some services to the appellant. The respondent did rendered the services to the appellant and delivered at the appellant’s area of operation. By the 18th September 2002, the sum due from the services stood at US$977,308.18 with interest at the rate of 5% per annum. By further terms of the contract, the parties agreed that disputes which they were unable to resolve amicably were to be referred to Arbitration. The appellant defaulted in paying for the services as agreed and as a result and by the terms of the contract, several meetings were brokered for the appellant to honour his side of the contract. At the last meeting of the parties in Ghana, the appellant proposed to pay the sum of US$889,500.04 to the respondent in quarterly instalments of US$120,000.00 until the total indebtedness is liquidated. The respondent later by a letter from her Solicitors requested that the quarterly instalments be increased to US$180,000.00. The appellant had earlier admitted her indebtedness as US$537,396.05. Accordingly, the respondent referred the matter to Arbitration in Nigeria. The appellant agreed and initially participated in the arbitration but latter resiled. The appellant then filed an originating summons in the High Court, Lagos to contest the appropriateness of referring the matter to arbitration. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">However, the said Court ruled against the appellant to the effect that there was an issue for arbitration. Meanwhile the arbitral proceedings proceeded and a final decision was delivered requesting the appellant to pay his indebtedness together with other awards. The appellant refused to pay his indebtedness despite repeated demands. The respondent had no option than to institute proceedings against the appellant claiming as follows:—<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> “a) The sum of US$977,308.18 (Nine Hundred and Seventy-seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Eight United States Dollars, Eighteen United States Cents) being the sum due to the plaintiff for services rendered to the defendant under the provisions of the Subcontract Agreement between the parties dated 21st June, 2000.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> b) Interest on the sum (a) above at the rate of 5% per annum from 20th July 2007 to the date of judgment and/or until the judgment sum is fully liquidated.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> c) Arbitration Tribunal’s Costs of N6,500,000.00 (Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) and the plaintiff’s legal cost of US$97,730.81 (Ninety-seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars, Eighty-one United States Cents) both incurred by the plaintiff pursuant to the Arbitration proceedings herein.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> d) Costs in this action”. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Writ of Summons was accompanied by an eighteen paragraph statement of claim. The respondent entered appearance on the 19th November 2008 but on the 27th day of November 2008, the respondent applied to the High Court for Summary Judgment against the appellant on the ground that the appellant had no defence to the action. The appellant although served refused to respond nor attend Court. Upon hearing learned Counsel for the respondent, the learned trial judge granted the application and entered Summary Judgment against the appellant in respect of the reliefs claimed on the Writ of Summons. Aggrieved by the judgment of the Court, the appellant has filed the instant appeal on the following grounds:-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> “a. The learned judge erred when His Lordship granted Summary Judgment to the plaintiff/respondent against the backdrop that the supporting annexures accompanying the application for Summary Judgment did not support the plaintiff’s claim in the sum of US$977,308.18.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> b. The Learned Judge erred in law when His Lordship endorsed an arbitrary rate of 5% exigible on US$977,308.18 merely on the say so the plaintiff/respondent. <o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">c. The trial Judge failed to consider that the plaintiff’s action was procedurally flawed in that the plaintiff sought to enforce a foreign arbitral award in our jurisdiction which was not heard on the merits.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" styl