MARY OKAILEY WELBECK vs. SIMON TACKIE WELBECK [2013]DLCA8105

Date	2013-03-14
Suit No.	SUIT NO.H1/167/2012
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA8105

APALOO J.A. (PRESIDING)

ADJEI J.A.

SAEED J.A.

MR. EDWARD SAM CRABBE FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. ABEIKU VROOM FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2013]DLCA8105
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MARY OKAILEY WELBECK<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SIMON TACKIE WELBECK<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/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;
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SUIT
NO.H1/167/2012&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; DATE: 14TH MARCH, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR.
EDWARD SAM CRABBE FOR PLAINTIFF/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.
ABEIKU VROOM FOR DEFENDANT/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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APALOO
J.A. (PRESIDING), ADJEI J.A., SAEED 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:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>DENNIS
ADJEI,J.A.:<o:p></o:p>On
22nd June, 2011 the High Court Accra dismissed the plaintiff/appellant’s
action (hereafter called the plaintiff) and entered judgment in favour of the
defendant/ respondent hereafter&nbsp; called
the defendant. The High Court in its judgment&nbsp;
held that&nbsp; the last will and&nbsp; testament&nbsp;
of the late Joseph&nbsp; Ayikai Welbeck
who died&nbsp; on 17th July,1997
was neither forged nor&nbsp; fraudulently
obtained and&nbsp; was duly executed in
accordance with the Will’s Act, Act 360. The plaintiff dissatisfied with the
judgment of the trial High Court filed an appeal against it on 5th
July, 2011.<o:p></o:p>The brief
facts of the case culminating in this appeal were that the parties herein were
some of the children of the late Joseph Ayikai Welbeck who died on 4th April,
2003. The parties come from different mothers. The will of the deceased dated
17th July, 1997 was admitted to probate by the High Court without a
caveat. The plaintiff was given an insignificant amount of ¢10,000.00(GH¢10.00)
by her father in the disputed will and dissatisfied with it thought that it was
the defendant &nbsp;&nbsp;who fraudulently made the
will in the name of his father and therefore issued a writ to challenge the
validity of the will that it was either obtained by fraud or was forged. I will
reproduce for discussion the relief sought by the plaintiff on her amended writ
of summons filed on 14th April, 2011. They are as follows:<o:p></o:p>“i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration
that the alleged Will of Joseph Ayikai (deceased) purportedly executed on 17th
July 1997 is either forged or was obtained by fraud.<o:p></o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order
invalidating the alleged Will as null and void by reason of forgery and/or
fraud<o:p></o:p>Further or in the alternative,<o:p></o:p>iii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A
declaration that the will dated 17th July 1997, not being the last
will and testament of Joseph Okai Welbeck (decd), is invalid and cannot form the
basis for the administration of his estate.<o:p></o:p>iv.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order
declaring the probate obtained by the defendant for purpose of administering
the estate of the deceased under&nbsp; and by
virtue&nbsp; of the said will of 17th
July,19997, null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.<o:p></o:p>v.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order
declaring any distribution or purported distribution; or the enforcement or
purported enforcement of any directive, carried out or intended to be carried
out by the defendant, under or by virtue of the said will of July 17, 1997,
null, void and of no legal effect whatsoever.<o:p></o:p>vi.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any
further or other orders”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
trial High Court Judge found that the will of the late Joseph Ayikai Welbeck
dated 17th July, 1997 was his last will and was executed in
accordance with the Will’s Act, Act 360-. The grounds of appeal filed by the plaintiff
to impeach the judgment are as follows:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “a. That the judgment is against
the weight of evidence.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
in&nbsp;&nbsp; concluding that the alleged will of
Joseph Ayikai Welbeck (dcsd) was valid and not forged the trial Judge erred in
basing his judgment on conjecture and speculation instead of proven fact, when
he held:<o:p></o:p>