LT. CDR. PERRY TETTEH, MARY ANYIWAH AND EKOW SAGOE vs. ECKANKAR GHANA SATSANG SOCIETY [2013]DLCA8130

LT. CDR. PERRY TETTEH, MARY ANYIWAH AND EKOW SAGOE vs. ECKANKAR GHANA SATSANG S... [2013]DLCA8130

Date	2013-07-18
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.H1/210/2013
Citation No.	[2013]DLCA8130

MARIAMA OWUSU JA (PRESIDING)

MARFUL-SAU JA

SAEED-GYAN JA

RAPHEAL ALIJINA FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/ APPELLANTS

GODWIN DZOKOTO WITH HENRY GYABENG FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2013]DLCA8130
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >LT. CDR. PERRY
TETTEH, MARY ANYIWAH AND EKOW SAGOE<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/ APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ECKANKAR
GHANA SATSANG SOCIETY<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO.H1/210/2013&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
18TH JULY, 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL.<o:p></o:p>RAPHEAL
ALIJINA FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/ APPELLANTS<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">

GODWIN
DZOKOTO WITH HENRY GYABENG 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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MARIAMA
OWUSU JA (PRESIDING), MARFUL-SAU JA, SAEED-GYAN JA<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>MARFUL-SAU,
JA:-The fundamental issue raised in this appeal is whether or not the
plaintiff/ appellants (hereinafter called appellants) had the capacity to
institute the action leading to this appeal. The trial High Court had on the 24th
October 2012 dismissed appellants’ action on grounds that they lacked the
requisite capacity to initiate the action. Dissatisfied with the said ruling
the appellants filed a notice of appeal on the 30th of October 2012. In the
said notice the appellant’s formulated one ground of appeal, namely that the
learned High Court Judge erred in law by dismissing the suit for want of
capacity.<o:p></o:p>The
appellants issued a writ accompanied with a statement of claim against the
defendants/ respondents (hereinafter called respondents) claiming various relie
fs. Upon service, the respondents filed a motion praying that the writ be
struck out and the suit dismissed. The trial High Court heard the motion on its
merits and dismissed the suit. At page 27 of the record of appeal, the trial
court ruled thus:-<o:p></o:p>‘’The
plaintiff’s writ of summons and statement of claim is accordingly dismissed as
they lack the capacity to bring the action.’’<o:p></o:p>The
appellants by paragraph 1 of their statement of claim averred as follows:-<o:p></o:p>‘’1.
The plaintiffs are Executives of a branch of Eckankar Ghana Accra West, a
branch of the central organization known and described as Eckankar Ghana
Satsang Society registered under the laws of Ghana and bring this action on
behalf of themselves and the entire membership of Eckankar Ghana Accra West.’’<o:p></o:p>The
argument put up by the respondents was that Eckankar Ghana Accra West for which
the appellants claimed to be the Executives did not exist as a legal entity or
a juristic person, that can sue and be sued and for that matter the appellants
were not clothed with capacity to sue. They argued that Eckankar Ghana Accra
West had been merged with another branch and therefore did not exist and could
not have Executives.<o:p></o:p>The appellants
on the other hand argued that they instituted the action in their individual
rights and also on behalf of the members of Eckankar Ghana Accra West. They
therefore contended that even if Eckankar Ghana Accra West did not exist they
have the right, as individuals to initiate the action against the first
respondent, who was the accredited body in charge of Eckankar in Ghana.<o:p></o:p>Now,
before I tackle the fundamental issue raised in the appeal, I need to address a
problem I find with appellants’ action. In this appeal the appellants seemed
not to dispute the fact that Eckankar Ghana Accra West had been merged with the
Accra Central local area to form the Accra Local Area. Indeed there is ample
evidence on record showing that the said Eckankar Ghana Accra West ceased to
exist as a branch from October 2006. At page 18 to 20 of the record of appeal
is exhibit ECIC 4, being handing over notes pursuant to the merger. From this
evidence I do not even understand why the appellants’ aware of the fact of the
merger would cause a writ to be issued in August 2012, describing themselves as
Executive of Eckankar Ghana Accra West, an entity they knew had been merged and
no longer existed. I shall revisit this problem after I have dealt with the
issue of appellants’ capacity.<o:p></o:p>At
paragraph 1 of the statement of claim appellants described themselves as
Executives of Eckankar Ghana Accra West and that the action has been commenced
on th</main>