VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD (1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT) AND TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERVICES (2ND DEFENDANT) vs. EXPOM GHANA LIMITED [2015]DLCA4772

VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD (1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT) AND TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERV... [2015]DLCA4772

Date	2015-01-15
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL: SUIT NO: H1/139/2013
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA4772

KUSI-APPIAH (PRESIDING)

ADUAMA OSEI J.A.

WELBOURNE (MRS.) J.A.

MRS. ANNA FORDJOUR FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

MR. ANKOMAH MENSAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2015]DLCA4772
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD
(1ST
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)
AND TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERVICES (2ND DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EXPOM GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/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:0in 0in 6.0pt 0in">

CIVIL APPEAL: SUIT NO: H1/139/2013 &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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;15TH JANUARY, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MRS.
ANNA FORDJOUR FOR THE 1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<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">

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>KUSI-APPIAH
(PRESIDING), ADUAMA OSEI J.A., WELBOURNE (MRS.) J.A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

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

</div>KUSI-APPIAH,
J.A:<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This
appeal arises from the judgment of the High Court, (Commercial Division),
Accra, dated 8th day of January, 2013 entered in favour of the
plaintiff/respondent (hereinafter referred to as the respondent) against the 1st
defendant/appellant (hereinafter referred to as the appellant).<o:p></o:p>The
case of the plaintiff (now the respondent) as gathered from its pleadings and
especially evidence at the trial, is that, the respondent is a company
incorporated under the laws of Ghana and carries on business as a food
processing company.&nbsp; The respondent through
the 2nd defendant (Tri-Star Insurance Services), took an insurance
policy with the appellant, Vanguard Assurance sometime in 2006.&nbsp; The policy was subsequently renewed yearly,
the latest being for the period 20th November, 2009 to 20th
November, 2010 against loss or damage by fire, up to the sum of five million
Euros (€5,000,000.00) as follows:<o:p></o:p>“All
real and personal property of every kind and description of Expom Ghana
Limited’s own or for which they may be held liable or responsible including but
limited to buildings, plants, machinery, stocks, inventory and equipment as
detailed below as well as public and products liability.”<o:p></o:p>On
10th May, 2010 at about 1.35am, fire guttered drums and bins of raw
materials of tomato paste which respondent had packed in the yard on its
premises.&nbsp; Respondent made a claim on
appellant who repudiated liability on the basis that the respondent had
deliberately set fire to the raw materials in order to make a fraudulent
claim.&nbsp; The respondent therefore issued a
writ of summons in the High Court claiming:<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
“A
declaration that defendants are liable to indemnify plaintiff for the loss and
damage suffered by plaintiff as a result of the fire that damaged plaintiffs
raw materials and goods on 10/05/10.<o:p></o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A
declaration&nbsp; that under and by virtue of
the insurance contract between plaintiff and 1st defendant, 1st
defendant is under an obligation to indemnify plaintiff in respect of all costs
incurred by plaintiff in cleansing the debris left as a result of the fire
incident that destroyed plaintiffs raw materials and goods on 10/5/10.<o:p></o:p>iii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
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