NII KPOBI TETTEY TSURU III vs. THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL [2016]DLHC17154

NII KPOBI TETTEY TSURU III vs. THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF AND THE ATTORNEY GENE... [2016]DLHC17154

Date	2016-11-02
Suit No.	SUIT N0. LD 0640/16
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC17154

HER LADYSHIP MRS. ELIZABETH ANKUMAH J

MICHAEL KARIKARI YEBOAH ESQUIRE

AMARKAI AMARTEFIO ESQUIRE.

EZRA ALABI BORQUAYE

JACOB NOI ESQUIRE

LSN AKUETTEH ESQUIRE.

[2016]DLHC17154
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk152146143"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">NII KPOBI TETTEY TSURU III<o:p></o:p></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">THE CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF AND&nbsp; THE ATTORNEY GENERAL <span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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"> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">SUIT N0. LD 0640/16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 2ND NOVEMBER,
2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>MICHAEL KARIKARI
YEBOAH ESQUIRE FOR AMARKAI AMARTEFIO ESQUIRE.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

EZRA ALABI BORQUAYE
WITH JACOB NOI ESQUIRE FOR LSN AKUETTEH ESQUIRE.<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">CORAM <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">HER
LADYSHIP MRS. ELIZABETH ANKUMAH J<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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;">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>This
is motion on Notice filed on behalf of Applicant seeking an order to join East Dadekotopon Development Trust as a
defendant. The basis of this application can be found in paragraphs 2 to 11
of the affidavit in support.<o:p></o:p>It
is the contention of the applicant that the plaintiff in this case sued the defendants claiming among its reliefs
a declaration of title and recovery of possession. The land being claimed by the plaintiff forms part of a larger
tract of land owned by the
Applicant/Trust per a consent judgment dated 12/7/01 in Suit No. L353/97. In 1997 there were three claimants to the
said land; namely the La stool, the Lenshie Quarter and the Nmati Abonase
Quarter, claiming ownership of the land behind the Ghana International Trade
Fair which includes the land subject matter in this case. By a Trust Deed dated 10th April 2002 and registered under the Trustees (Incorporation) Act 1962 (Act 106) the Settlors created the Applicant/Trust and
transferred the ownership and management of the said lands to it for the
benefit of the citizens of La.<o:p></o:p>The
Applicant thereafter applied and registered this vast tract of land of which
the land in dispute forms part at the Land Title Division and therefore holds a
Land Title Certificate No.GA19310 dated 2/10/03 over the land. The
plaintiff/respondent herein was a party to that consent judgment and one of the
settlors of the Applicant/Trust. In
2004 the Applicant took the Government of Ghana to court when the military laid
claim to the said land describing it as military land. The Applicant/Trust
obtained judgment in the High Court in Suit No. BL 247/2004. The
Plaintiff/Respondent was a party to the said consent judgment and as indicated
one of the Settlors of the Applicant/Trust is very much aware of the
Applicant/Trust ownership of the land in dispute; therefore the plaintiff
cannot resile from the Trust and initiate an action wholly by himself and
without any recourse to the Applicant/Trust who holds the legal title in land
by virtue of the Land Title Certificate.<o:p></o:p>In
an affidavit in opposition filed on 8/7/16 the plaintiff opposed the joinder on
the ground that the application was incompetent and was brought without lawful
authority because of the nonexistent nature of the Board of Trustees. To the
Plaintiff/respondent the mandate of the eight members Board of Trustees
appointed according to the Applicant/Trust’s constitution to manage the
Applicant/Trust affairs expired in 2006. To him the applicant has failed to
demonstrate amply to this court in
its affidavit in support and the supplementary affidavit as to who the current
Board of Trustees are. The respondent argued that being the allodial owner, a
settlor, a beneficiary and the representative of the beneficiaries brought this
action to safeguard the property of the citizens of La. To him the Court should
refuse the joinder because the joining of the Applicant/Trust would in no way
facilitate the effectual determination of the matters in issue. But Counsel for
the respondent was quick to add that: “Nowhere in our affidavit in opposition
have we stated that the Applicant/Trust does
not exist by law. Again, nowhere in our affidavit have we
also stated that trustees for Applicant have not been&nbsp; nominated.&nbsp; Indeed&nbsp; in&nbsp; our&nbsp; paragraph&nbsp; 10,&nbsp; we&nbsp; stated&nbsp; that nominations have been received and
that plans are far advanced to reconstitute the board of trustees.”<o:p></o:p>From
the arguments p</main>