ECOBANK NIGERIA PLCHERBESRT MACULEY WAY WUSE ZONE, ABUJA.vs. HISS HANDS HOUSING AGENCYACCRA AND ACCESS BANK GHANA LIMITED [2015]DLCA8017

ECOBANK NIGERIA PLCHERBESRT MACULEY WAY WUSE ZONE, ABUJA.vs. HISS HANDS HOUSING... [2015]DLCA8017

Date	2015-12-10
Suit No.	Civil Appeal Suit No: H1/212/15
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8017

GYAESAYOR JA (PRESIDING)

ACQUAYE JA

MENSAH JA

MR. KOBINA ADU KUSI WITH GLORIA GYAN FOR PLAINTIFF/ APPELLANT

JAMES ABIA DUKA FOR DEFENDANTS/ RESPONDENTS

[2015]DLCA8017
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ECOBANK NIGERIA PLCHERBESRT
MACULEY WAY WUSE ZONE, ABUJA.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/
APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>HISS HANDS HOUSING AGENCYACCRA
AND ACCESS BANK GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS / RESPONDENTS)<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 Suit No: H1/212/15&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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 DECEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. KOBINA ADU KUSI WITH GLORIA GYAN FOR PLAINTIFF/
APPELLANT<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">

JAMES ABIA DUKA FOR
DEFENDANTS/ RESPONDENTS <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">

GYAESAYOR JA
(PRESIDING), ACQUAYE JA, MENSAH JA<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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">

<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>GYAESAYOR, JA<o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal against the decision of the High Court, Accra dated 19th
June 2014.&nbsp; The present
plaintiff/appellant Ecobank Nigeria PLC took over the Oceanic Bank
International who was the original plaintiff in the High Court and successfully
applied to the High Court to be made the plaintiff.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff’s writ was endorsed with the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="1" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">A
 declaration that the plaintiffs have not authorized the transfer of the
 sum of USD2,368,725.00 or at all into the account of the 1st&nbsp; defendant account(s) with the 2nd
 defendant Intercontinental Bank Ghana Limited or at all.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="2" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">A
 declaration that the transfer of USD2,368,725.00&nbsp; into the 1st defendant’s
 account with Intercontinental Bank Ghana Limited was obtained by fraud.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="3" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">An
 order restraining the 2nd defendants from honoring any cheques,
 bills or other instruction for the purpose of withdrawing or otherwise
 dealing with any and all sums currently held in the accounts of the 1st
 defendant with the 2nd defendant.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="4" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">An
 order restraining the 1st defendants from making any
 withdrawals or otherwise dealing with its accounts with the 2nd
 defendant, Intercontinental Bank Ghana Limited.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><ol style="margin-top:0cm" start="5" type="a">
 <li class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;
 mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3">An
 order directed at the 2nd defendant to pay any and all sums
 currently held in the accounts of the 1st defendant with it to
 the plaintiff forthwith.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>In
the accompanying statement of claim which was subsequently amended pursuant to
the order of the court on 11th January 2011, the plaintiff averred
that it is an international bank incorporated under the laws of Nigeria while
the 1st defendant is a registered business name owned by one Agbeko
Nutsuvi a customer of 2nd defendant bank and was set up to or
registered to defraud plaintiff.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>According
to plaintiff by an instruction dated 31st December 2009 made in French
language and directed at Banque Commerciale Du Chari, a bank operating in Chad,
signatures of one Mrs. Lolade Ogunlusi then an executive director of the
plaintiff Company and Ehizoge Ohiowele also a staff of the bank were
forged.&nbsp; As a result of the said
instruction an amount of USD2,368,725.00 then in the plaintiff account with the
Chadian bank was transferred&nbsp; into the
account of&nbsp; 1st defendant&nbsp; </main>