DICKSON KWAME MENSAH (DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT) vs. VICTOR KWAKU FOLI ADIGBO (PLAINTIFF/ RESPONDENT) [2012]DLCA7432

DICKSON KWAME MENSAH (DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT) vs. VICTOR KWAKU FOLI ADIGBO (PLAINT... [2012]DLCA7432

Date	2012-03-22
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/95/2011
Citation No.	[2012]DLCA7432

F. KUSI-APPIAH J.A [PRESIDING]

P. K. GYAESAYOR J.A

K. A. ACQUAYE J.A.

MR. ANTHONY BOATENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

MRS. BRIDGETTA OSEI-OWUSU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2012]DLCA7432
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DICKSON KWAME
MENSAH<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>VICTOR KWAKU
FOLI ADIGBO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/
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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

SUIT
NO. H1/95/2011&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 MARCH, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
ANTHONY BOATENG FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MRS.
BRIDGETTA OSEI-OWUSU FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

F.
KUSI-APPIAH J.A [PRESIDING], P. K. GYAESAYOR J.A, K. A. ACQUAYE J.A.<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>ACQUAYE,
J.A <o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the judgment of
the High Court, Accra, dated the 20th day of May 2010 which decreed judgment in
favour of the Plaintiff/Respondent for the sum of GH¢5,800.00 being money
advanced to the defendant/appellant together with interest and cost. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff/Respondents' case was that
in December 2005 he advanced at the request of the Defendant/Appellant the sum
of Gh¢5,800.00 to the defendant/respondent to enable the latter execute
construction of a house he had contracted to build in Kumasi. The
plaintiff/respondent testified that the defendant/respondent promised to repay
the amount upon receipt of payment for the project but after the
defendant/appellant had been paid he failed to repay the plaintiff/respondent despite
repeated demands. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendant/appellant's defence was
that the plaintiff/respondent agreed to pre-finance the project so that after
completion the profits would be shared between the parties. The
defendant/appellant stated that the plaintiff/respondent however failed to
release the money as quickly as was desired leading to the termination of the
contract and that the money paid him was less than anticipated which money was
used to pay for materials credited and labour costs.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;After finding for the plaintiff/respondent the
defendant appealed against the judgment on the grounds that:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;a) The judgment is against the weight of
evidence <o:p></o:p>b)
The court erred by giving different interpretation to Exhibit A.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;Arguing the appeal, Counsel for the defendant/appellant
submitted that the project was a joint venture for which both parties were
expected to share the profits so if there is a loss it will be unjust to ask
the defendant/appellant to refund the money he advanced. Counsel submitted that
Section 177 of the Evidence Decree NRCD 323 of 1975 provides that Except
as otherwise provided by the rules of equity, terms set forth in a writing
intended by the parties as a final expression of intention or agreement may not
be contradicted by evidence of any prior declaration of intention, or of any
prior agreement. Counsel relied on the case of OSAE VRS ADJEIFIO 2008) 16 MLRG 1 and submitted that Exhibit A and
Exhibit 1 stated that the defendant/appellant was carrying out the project with
the plaintiff/respondent so the court erred in concluding that the money
advanced was a loan and not an investment. Counsel for the defendant/appellant
also argued that the plaintiff/respondent did not challenge the
defendant/appellant's evidence that the late release of GH¢20,000.00 by the
plaintiff/respondent contributed to the termination of the contract so the
plaintiff/respondent cannot turn round to demand the refund of the money
invested in the project. Counsel for the defendant/appellant submitted that
based on the evidence before the trial court, the judgment should have been in
favour of the defendant/appellant and therefore prayed this court to set side
the judgment of the trial court. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Answering the arguments canvassed for
the defendant/appellant, Counsel for the plaintiff/respondent submitted tha</main>