ENERGIE REFERENCE LTD (PLAINTIFF) vs. ECOBANK GHANA LTD (DEFENDANT) [2016]DLHC7323

Date	2016-05-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. BDC/18/14
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC7323

HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).

ERNEST GAEWU FOR PLAINTIFF

ISAAC OFOSU-BOATENG FOR DEFENDANT

[2016]DLHC7323
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ENERGIE
REFERENCE LTD<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ECOBANK
GHANA LTD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL
DIVISION), ACCRA]<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">

SUIT
NO. BDC/18/14&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;DATE:
9TH MAY, 2016<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>ERNEST
GAEWU FOR PLAINTIFF<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">

ISAAC
OFOSU-BOATENG FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).<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;line-height:115%;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>On the 13th April, 2016, I entered Judgement
for the Plaintiff against the Defendant and reserved my reasons which I now
proceed to give. <o:p></o:p>On the 15th April, 2015, the Plaintiff
commenced the present action against the Defendant claiming the following
reliefs;-<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">1.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Damages
for breach of trust, expected loss of income and contract for wrongfully
refusing to pay the Plaintiff’s cheque drawn by the plaintiff.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">2.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Damages
for libel contained in the written answer “Drawer confirmation not received”
thereon.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">3.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Any
other relief(s)<o:p></o:p>The case of the Plaintiff is that it is a customer
of the Defendant Bank, Ashaiman Branch.&nbsp;
It is further the case of the Plaintiff that it participated in a tender
to supply 20,000 metric tonnes of fuel oil to SNPT in the Republic of
Togo.&nbsp; It is the contention of the Plaintiff
that the tender was to be supported with bid guarantee of FCFA GH¢67,500.00
which is the equivalent of GH¢357,000.00 at the time. Being a customer of the
defendant bank, the Plaintiff contented that it applied to the Defendant for
the latter to provide Plaintiff with the bid guarantee to cover and support the
tender.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff further contended that the Defendant
upon negotiations with them requested the Plaintiff to provide 25% cash
guarantee and support the rest with asset collateral.&nbsp; It is further the contention of the Plaintiff
that it caused to be transferred the 25% cash guarantee into its account from
its sister company, Petrocell account at the same branch for the Defendant to
start the processing of the guarantee.<o:p></o:p>It is the case of the Plaintiff that the Defendant
informed them later that they wanted 100% cash guarantee before issuing the
guarantee.&nbsp; Unable to provide the 100%
cash guarantee, the Plaintiff stated that it approached Access Bank.&nbsp; It is the contention of the Plaintiff that
Access Bank agreed to provide the bid bond and requested the Plaintiff to
provide 25% cash guarantee.&nbsp; It is the
case of the Plaintiff that it started the application process with Access Bank
and accordingly issued a cheque to be drawn on its account with the Defendant
covering the 25% cash guarantee on 26th March, 2014 to its account
with Access Bank Ltd.<o:p></o:p>According to the Plaintiff Access Bank pushed the
cheque through express clearing as the dateline for the bid bond was 27th
March, 2014.&nbsp; It is the case of the Plaintiff
that the Defendant wrongfully dishonoured the said cheque. <o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff further contended that the Defendant
had withdrawn monies from its accounts without their consent and authorisation
thereby causing the cheque to be dishonour</main>