THE REPUBLIC vs. HFC BANK LTD., JOHN QUARSHIE, EXPARTE JEWIMA CO. & 2 ORS [2013]DLHC12067

Date	2013-06-10
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FTR/10/13
Citation No.	[2013]DLHC12067

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM

KOJO GRAHAM FOR APPLICANTS

BRIGHT OKYERE AGYEKUM WITH HANS AWUDE LED BY GEORGE SARPONG FOR RESPONDENTS

[2013]DLHC12067
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REPUBLIC<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HFC BANK
LTD., JOHN QUARSHIE, EXPARTE JEWIMA CO. &amp; 2 ORS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

SUIT NO. FTR/10/13&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 10TH&nbsp;JUNE 2013<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>KOJO
GRAHAM FOR APPLICANTS,<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE JOHN AJET-NASAM<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>The events leading to the
filing of the instant application are as follows: The 1st applicant
is a limited liability company. The 2nd and 3rd
applicants are its directors. On the 17th day of May 2013, they
brought an interlocutory injunction against the 1st respondent for
an order compelling the respondent bank to grant them access to all their
accounts held with the bank. The court granted the application. On the 2oth day
of May 2013, the respondents herein granted applicants access to their accounts
wherein the applicants were able to cash US 65,000 (Sixty Five Thousand United
State Dollars) on the 20th May, 2013. <o:p></o:p>However on the 21st
day of May 2013, various cheques drawn on applicant’s accounts were dishonored.
This was the gravamenof the contempt proceedings brought against the
respondents. The arguments of the applicants can be found in their affidavit in
support, paragraphs 10, 11, 12 and 13. The respondents variously denied doing
anything to be slapped with contempt proceedings and possibly to be convicted
for disobeying the Court’s order. These depositions can also be found variously
in their affidavits paragraphs 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13. I do not however, intend
to repeat such depositions.<o:p></o:p>What is the legal meaning
of contempt? Contempt according to Halsbury’s Laws of England (Vol. 8 para46)
is: disobedience to a Judgment or Order of a Court requiring one to do any act
other than payment of money or to abstain from doing anything. In Oswald’s
Contempt of Court, (3rd ed) at pg 6 it is also stated that: “To
speak generally, contempt of Court may be said to be constituted by any conduct
that tends to bring the authority and administration of the law into disrespect
or to disregard or to interfere with or prejudice parties, litigants or their
witnesses during the litigation”.<o:p></o:p>By definition, a person
commits contempt and may be committed to prison for willfully disobeying an
Order of Court requiring him to do any act. The Order sought to be enforced
should be unambiguous and must be clearly understood by the parties concerned.
The reason is that a court will only punish as contempt, a wilful breach of
a clear Court Order requiring obedience to its performance.(Emphasis
Mine)Therefore, disobedience which is found not to be wilful cannot be
punished. See Republic Vrs. High Court, Accra, Exparte Laryea Mensah [1998-99]
SCGLR 360, at 368, Agbleta Vrs. The Republic [1977] 1 GLR 445, CA herein. Azu
Crabbe CJ at Pg 447 stated: “It seems to follow from the authorities
that wilful disobedience of the Order of the Court must be established before a
person can be held to be guilty of contempt. With all due respect to the
learned Judge, this court thinks that it is one thing to find unsatisfactory,
the appellants explanation of his conduct and quite another to infer wilful
defiance from his conduct”.<o:p></o:p>Also in the case of Kangah
Vr. Kyere [1979]GLR 458, at page 458 the Court held:<o:p></o:p>“To obtain a committal
Order for contempt, the applicant must strictly prove beyond all reasonable
doubt that the respondents had willfully disobeyed and violated the Court’s
Order… In the absence of such evidence, the respondents could not be guilty of contempt”.<o:p></o:p>Again in Exparte Ameyaw II
(No. 2) [1998-99] SC GLR 639, it was held at holding (2) “Since contempt o</main>