JEAN HANNA ASSI vs. ATTORNEY GENERAL AND OTHERS [2014]DLCA2895

Date	2014-02-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/180/2013
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA2895

JUSTICE HENRIETTA ABBAN JA [PRESIDING]

JUSTICE K. A. ACQUAYE JA

JUSTICE M WELBOURNE JA

SAMUEL CUDJOE WITH THEOPHILUS KPORVIE FOR THE 5TH DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

DAVID VANDYCK FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA2895
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >JEAN HANNA ASSI<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;vs.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>ATTORNEY GENERAL AND
OTHERS<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;[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">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/180/2013&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;DATE: 6TH
FEBRUARY, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>SAMUEL CUDJOE WITH
THEOPHILUS KPORVIE FOR THE 5TH DEFENDANT/APPELLANT,<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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DAVID
VANDYCK FOR THE 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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JUSTICE
HENRIETTA ABBAN JA [PRESIDING], JUSTICE K. A. ACQUAYE JA, JUSTICE M WELBOURNE
JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>MARGARET
WELBOURNE, J.A. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The Background<o:p></o:p>In brief the evidence of the
plaintiff/respondent, Hanna Assi is that he is the owner and title holder of
Plot No. 2, North Industrial Area, Kaneshie, Accra.&nbsp; That his root of title is Gabco Metals when
he bought same from them in 1976.&nbsp; That
the land was bare without any structure thereon.&nbsp; Two years later after its acquisition, he
built a factory, a warehouse, and also a two floor storey building
thereon.&nbsp; That he permitted A and B
Industries, then a manufacturing company engaged in the manufacturing of
corrugated iron sheets, bolts and nuts to use the warehouse and occupy the
offices and that between him and the said company he is the owner of Plot No.
2, North Industrial Area, Accra.&nbsp; It is
his case that in the early part of 1982, he was arrested and detained for
eleven months without court trial of any sort.&nbsp;
That on his release he was deported from the country even though he told
the authorities at the time that he is a Ghanaian with Lebanese origin.<o:p></o:p>Further that on his return from
Lebanon, he found people on his land and therefore petitioned the Lands
Commission to return his land to him.&nbsp;
That for now, it is the 5th defendant/appellant, Poly
Products, that is on the land.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>That he later petitioned the
President of the Republic of Ghana in 1997 at the time for the return of his
land when he returned to Ghana in 1986.<o:p></o:p>At the trial High Court, on
21st February, 2012, the court granted all the respondent’s claims.&nbsp; The judge in his judgment declared as follows
on pages 498 and 499 of the Record of Appeal (hereinafter referred to as ROA in
short):<o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A
declaration that the Transfer of shares and proprietary of shares and
proprietary interest (A and B Industries Limited and others) AFRCD 31 1979 and
the transfer of shares ETC to the state (Removal of Doubt) Law 1982, PNDCL 30,
did not confiscate Plot No. 2 North Industrial Area, Accra, to the state of
Ghana.<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court further declares that the Plaintiff&nbsp;
herein,&nbsp; Jean Hanna Assi, is the
title holder of the Industrial property known as Plot No. 2, North Industrial
Area, Accra.<o:p></o:p>c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
Court also makes a declaration that the purported confiscation of Plot No. 2,
North Industrial Area, Accra, to the Estate of Ghana by the defendants relying
on AFRCD 31 1979 and PNDCL 30 1982 was null and void and of no legal effect.<o:p></o:p>d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It
is further ordered that all the (5) Five defendants execute an instrument and
transfer Plot No. 2, North</main>