KWEKU KWEINU SEY & ANOTHER vs. MADAM HARRIET SERWAA ANIN [2014]DLCA2955

Date	2014-06-26
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. H1/63/2014
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA2955

MARIAMA OWUSU J. A [PRESIDING]

OFOE J. A

DORDZIE J.A

FREDA ROSE-APPIAH FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

BRIGHT OKYERE AGYEKUM FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA2955
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KWEKU KWEINU SEY &amp;
ANOTHER<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; &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; <o:p></o:p>MADAM HARRIET SERWAA ANIN<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;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO. H1/63/2014&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 26TH
JUNE, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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>FREDA ROSE-APPIAH 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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BRIGHT
OKYERE AGYEKUM 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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MARIAMA
OWUSU J. A [PRESIDING] &nbsp;,OFOE J. A ,&nbsp; DORDZIE J.A

</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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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>OFOE,J.A:<o:p></o:p>The plaintiffs/appellants
hereinafter referred to as plaintiffs are the executors of the purported will
of Theophilus Ernest Annin. The defendant/ respondent herein referred to as
defendant, was a sister of the deceased Theophilus Anin. She has joined her
ancestors and has been substituted by the daughter. The main issue joined between
the parties is whether the document exhibit A was a will executed by the deceased<o:p></o:p>The case of the plaintiffs
is simply that the will was duly executed by the deceased in the presence of
one Samuel Amartey and Samuel Quartey both present at the same time. The
defendant on the other hand maintained that the will was not executed by the
deceased but that the signature on the alleged will was fraudulently procured. The
gist of the particulars of fraud she provided was that the alleged signature on
the said document was a forgery and that the deceased did not execute the said
will of the deceased. Whilst the plaintiffs asked the trial court to declare
the will of Theophilus Anin dated the 21st January as valid the
defendant has also counterclaimed that the court declare the said will as
invalid and therefore Theohilus died intestate. <o:p></o:p>There is this property House
No 17, Mankralo Street Cantoments which was the last abode of the deceased. The
daughter of the deceased, Stella Owusua Anin has assumed ownership of this
property claiming it was gifted to her by the father before his demise. The
defendant is challenging this gift and asking that the court declare this
property as part of the estates of the deceased. Since the said daughter has
rented this property they are asking additionally that the court orders all
rents to be paid into court pending the distribution of the estates.<o:p></o:p>The trial court dutifully set
for trial the issues whether the signature on the will dated the 21st
of January 1998 is that of Theophilus Anin and whether this will is valid. It
was also set for trial whether House Number 17, Mankralo Street Cantoments
forms part of the estates of Theophilus Ernest Anin.<o:p></o:p>He set the stage for the
trial when he, rightly in our view, said:<o:p></o:p>“In
the instant case as the defendant has challenged the validity of the will on
grounds of forgery, it is incumbent upon the plaintiffs to lea credible
evidence to establish its genuineness. Indeed the evidential burden assumed by
each side in view of the positions they have taken is that the plaintiff must
show that the document in respect of which they sought probate was executed and
attested in accordance with section 2 of the Wills Act. It is upon showing that
that the burden then shifts to the defendant to prove the alleged forgery”.<o:p></o:p>This is the legal principle
as applied in the Supreme Court cases of In
re Okine (2003-2004) SCGLR582 at 619 and In re Blay Miezah(2001-2002)SCGLR339
at 362.<o:p></o:p>He examined the evidence of
the attesting witnesses, who were the only witnesses the plaintiffs invited to
prove the will in solemn form, and concluded:<o:p></o:p>“Obviously,
the testimony of one or the other of these two witnesses is incorrect. And from
their collective evidence I find that these two witnesses could not have been
present at the same time to witness the signature of the deceased as he signed
the will. This fact offends S.2 (3) of the Wills Act 1971 which is mandatory”.<o:p></o:p>In coming to this conclusion
he referred to the evidence of these two witnesses captured at page 4 of the
judgment (at page 130 of the record of proceedings) as follows:<o:p></o:p>