VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD. TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERVICES GHANA LIMITED vs. EXPOM GHANA LIMITED [2015]DLCA8030

VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD. TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERVICES GHANA LIMITED vs. EXPOM... [2015]DLCA8030

Date	2015-01-15
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL: SUIT NO: H1/139/2013
Citation No.	[2015]DLCA8030

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]DLCA8030
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >VANGUARD ASSURANCE CO. LTD.<o:p></o:p>(1ST DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>TRI-STAR INSURANCE SERVICES
GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(2ND DEFENDANT)<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>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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

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;DATE: 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:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

MR. ANKOMAH MENSAH
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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

KUSI-APPIAH
(PRESIDING), ADUAMA OSEI J.A., WELBOURNE (MRS.) J.A.<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">

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><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:72.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">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><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:72.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">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><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:72.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-36.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1">iii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb</main>