FRANCIS KORANTENG (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. CROCODILE MATCHETS (GHANA) LTD. (DEFENDANT/APPELLANT) [2012]DLCA7893

FRANCIS KORANTENG (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT) vs. CROCODILE MATCHETS (GHANA) LTD. (DE... [2012]DLCA7893

Date	2012-12-20
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. HI/159/2012
Citation No.	[2012]DLCA7893

ASARE KORANG J.A. (PRESIDING)

OFOE J.A.

HONYENUGA J.A.

MISS GLORIA COFIE FOR DEFT’/APPELLANT

MR. J. A. ARYITEY FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2012]DLCA7893
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FRANCIS KORANTENG<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CROCODILE MATCHETS (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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO.&nbsp; HI/159/2012&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 20TH DECEMBER, 2012<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MISS GLORIA COFIE FOR DEFT’/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR. J. A. ARYITEY FOR
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;
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ASARE KORANG J.A.
(PRESIDING), OFOE J.A., HONYENUGA 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;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>HONYENUGA,
J.A.<o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal by the defendant/appellant against the decision of the High Court,
Industrial/Labour Division, Accra dated the 9th day of July
2010.&nbsp; The said judgment dismissed the
defendant/appellant’s application to strike out plaintiff/respondent’s reply to
the statement of defence.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
brief facts of this appeal is that the plaintiff/respondent was appointed the
Managing Director designate and a director of the defendant/appellant from 1st
March 2005 for a ten month probation to 31st December 2005.&nbsp; The plaintiff/appellant’s appointment was
terminated by a letter dated 19th March 2009.&nbsp; The plaintiff/respondent contended that the
termination of his appointment was contrary to law and natural justice.&nbsp; He also contended that the expression “the
overall failure of a confidence in your ability to lead the company back to
profitability” which was circulated insinuated that he was unsuitable or
incompetent to manage a business as a Managing Director.&nbsp; Consequently, the plaintiff/respondent filed
the instant writ of summons claiming as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “damages for:-<o:p></o:p>(i)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
his unlawful termination or removal as Director of
Defendant Company;<o:p></o:p>(ii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
unfair termination of his appointment as Managing
Director of defendant company on 19th March 2009;<o:p></o:p>(iii)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
the libelous expression on the “overall failure of
confidence in your ability to lead back to profitability” which words
circulated tend to lower the image of plaintiff in the estimation of his peers,
professional colleagues and the public by an imputation that presents him as
incompetent, inefficient in spite of his distinguished career and which words
are calculated to bring him into hatred, contempt or ridicule and so diminish
the respect and confidence in which he is held.<o:p></o:p>(2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; interest on the claims.<o:p></o:p>(3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; costs”.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant/appellant entered appearance and filed a statement of defence.&nbsp; The plaintiff/respondent also filed a
reply.&nbsp; Not quite satisfied with the
reply as filed, the defendant/appellant filed an application under Order 11
rule 18 of CI 47 for an order to strike out paragraphs 2 – 9 and 11 – 19 of the
reply as being vexatious, prejudicial and embarrassing to the fair trial of the
action.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>