[2016]DLCA4460 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">THE ESTATE OF GIDEON ADOFO- KORANTENG BRIDGET ADOFO-KORANTENG<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">EDWIN EFFAH AND 6 OTHERS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt; margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">SUIT NO. H1/34/15 DATE: 14<sup>TH</sup> APRIL, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph; line-height:115%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">EDWARD OPPONG FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph; line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">GORDON KOMLA ATSYOR FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:9.0pt;margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">KANYOKE J.A. (PRESIDING), LARBI (MRS) J.A., WELBOURNE (MRS) J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></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;margin-left:0in;margin-right:9.0pt"> <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"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><b><i><u><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">WELBOURNE (MRS), J.A.</span></u></i></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">This is an appeal against the ruling of the High Court dated 28<sup>th</sup> June 2015. The Appellant in this appeal is Mrs. Bridget Adofo–Koranteng whilst the Respondents are the Executors and five (5) children of the late Gideon Adofo - Koranteng.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Appellant, Bridget Adofo-Koranteng who is the surviving spouse of the late Gideon Adofo-Koranteng is seeking the intervention of the court for an order of reasonable provision for herself and of her child from the estate of her late husband under Article 22 and 28 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 13 of the Wills Act, Act 360. She further prayed the court to order that the three Storey building at Frafraha be given to her and her seven year old daughter, Anita Adofo-Koranteng.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The late Gideon Adofo-Koranteng was a retired Chief Inspector of the Ghana Police Service who died testate on 21<sup>st</sup> June, 2014 and is survived by a wife and six children. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">The Will of the Testator is dated <b>20<sup>th</sup> June, 2014 </b>made a day before he died. Probate of the Will was granted by the High Court on <b>30<sup>th</sup> September, 2014.<u> </u></b>There was no objection or caveat by anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Thereafter, the Plaintiff (hereinafter described as the Appellant) applied for the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">To vary the disposition in the Will and give the Frafraha property to her and Anita Adofo-Koranteng and the death benefits with Ghana Police Service and Bank Accounts in the following ratio:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph; text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">1.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">30% to surviving spouse.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;text-justify: inter-ideograph;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">2.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">40% to Anita Adofo-Koranteng.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph; text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">3.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">30% to other 5 children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">Also a Mercedes Benz car and other clothes be given to her and the property at Nkawkaw be given to the other children. The Appellant later amended the ratio of distribution of the Ghana Police Service Death Benefits by filing a supplementary affidavit that sought for 30% to the surviving spouse, 60 % to Anita and 10% to the rest of the children.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span lang="EN-GB" styl