MERCHANT BANK GHANA LIMITED vs. SIMILAR WAYS LTD. AND MIKE ASOMANI [2013]DLCA6510

Date	2013-02-14
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/121/2012
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA6510

KANYOKE J.A. (PRESIDING)

OFOE J.A.

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) J.A

NANA AMOAH OWUSU-ANTWI FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. TETTEH JOSIAH FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS

[2013]DLCA6510
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MERCHANT
BANK GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SIMILAR WAYS
LTD. AND MIKE ASOMANI<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/
RESPONDENTS)<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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL
APPEAL NO: H1/121/2012&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;DATE: 14TH
FEBRUARY, 2013<o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MR. TETTEH JOSIAH FOR
DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">KANYOKE J.A. (PRESIDING), OFOE
J.A., LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) 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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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;mso-outline-level:1;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KANYOKE,
J.A.
<o:p></o:p>On
4th January, 2001, the plaintiff/appellant Bank (hereinafter referred to as the
Appellant) issued a writ of summons against the defendants/respondents
(hereinafter referred to as the Respondent) jointly and severally seeking the
following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>“a. Recovery of $30,308 or its cedi
equivalent being the balance of Pre-Export Facility account as at 1st December
2000. <o:p></o:p>b. Interest on the said sum at the
current bank rate from 1st December 2000 till date of trial payment. <o:p></o:p>c. In addition to or in alternative
judicial sale of the mortgage property used by the second defendant to secure
the Pre-Export Facility” <o:p></o:p>In
resisting the claims, the respondent entered appearance to the writ and filed a
statement of defence and counterclaimed for “Damages for breach of contract”.
The case went on full trial at the High Court, Accra, presided over by Her
Ladyship Mrs. Justice Nkumsah-Abban J. (as she then was). At the conclusion of
the trial on the 19th day of July 2006, the trial judge recorded as follows: <o:p></o:p>“By Court: Plaintiff to file address
within 1 month and defendants to file theirs a month thereafter. Adjourned to
16/10/06 for mention” (my emphasis). <o:p></o:p>See
pages 65-70 of the Record of Appeal (ROA). However, there is no evidence in the
ROA to show that on 16/10/06 the court reconvened for either the case to be
further adjourned for mention or for a day and date to be fixed for the
delivery of judgment. At pages 104, 148 and 192 of the ROA is a Search notice
field on 29th July, 2009 indicating that on 23rd December 2008, the trial judge
had allegedly given notice for the date of the delivery of judgment but the
Search notice has not indicated what form the trial judge gave that notice and
to whom on 23-12-2008. Further, apart from this doubtful information in the Search
notice, there is no evidence in the ROA to show that the court reconvened on
23-12-2008 or whether on 23-12-2008 the trial judge gave notice of the day and
the date for judgment. However, what is clear in the Search notice is that no
hearing notice was issued or if issued at all, that it was served on the
parties and or on their counsel. In fact, the Search notice has stated
explicitly that there was no proof of service of same i.e. the hearing notice
on the appellant. As directed by the court on 19th July, 2006, learned counsel
for the appellant filed his address at the court below on the 26th March 2007
whilst counsel for the respondents filed his on the 17th October 2007. Then
surprisingly, on the 8th day of January 2009 i.e. three (3) years after the
close of the trial on 19/7/06 the trial judge, Mrs. Justice Nkumsah-Abban J.
(as she then was) delivered her judgment in which she entered judgment for the
appellant for reliefs (1) and (2) of the endorsement plus costs of Gh¢1,000.00.
She also entered judgment for the respondents on their counterclaim and awarded
them $40,000.00 or its cedi equivalent as general damages for breach of
contract plus costs of Gh¢3,000.00. Except the second respondent who was
present in court on the day of the judgment neither the appellant or the 1st
respondent nor their legal representatives was/were present in court on the day
of delivery of the judgment. According to the evidence on the ROA the appellant
became aware of the judgment on 28th July, 2009 when it was served with the
Entry of Judgment. <o:p></o:p>On
the 4th day of August 2009 learned counsel for the appellant filed a motion on
notice in the same High Court, Accra, but now presided over by Mr. Justi</main>