ABOSO GOLDFIELDS LTD. vs. EKOW ESSUMAN (DECD) & 2 OTHERS [2017]DLCA4404

Date	2017-06-27
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/23/2018
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4404

JUSTICE IRENE C. LARBI (MRS) J.A. (PRESIDING)

JUSTICE L. L. MENSAH J.A.

JUSTICE ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A.

DOE TSIKATA FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT.

[2017]DLCA4404
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ABOSO GOLDFIELDS LTD.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>EKOW ESSUMAN (DECD) &amp; 2 OTHERS&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;
(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, CAPE COAST]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO:&nbsp; H1/23/2018&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: 27TH JUNE, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DOE TSIKATA FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JOHN
MERCER FOR 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;
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JUSTICE
IRENE C. LARBI (MRS) J.A. (PRESIDING), JUSTICE L. L. MENSAH J.A., JUSTICE
ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.A.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>LAWRENCE L. MENSAH, J.A.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is an appeal by the
Defendant/Appellant (who will be referred to as Defendant in this appeal) against
the judgment of the High Court, Sekondi dated the 21st day of June
2017 in favour of the Plaintiffs/Respondents (who will be referred in this
appeal as the Plaintiff).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Facts:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The facts which begot this appeal
can be summarized as follows:&nbsp; It is the
claim of the original Plaintiff (deceased) that some time in January 2009 the
Defendant which is a gold mining company in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of
the Western Region, agreed and indeed released to Plaintiff the control,
possession and management of its sand deposits or old tailings on their
concession in the Bompieso area also in the same District.&nbsp; The Plaintiff was then charged by Defendant with
re-gravelling the public road from a town called Atta Ne Atta to the Bogoso
Junction in the Prestea Huni Valley District of the Western Region aforesaid.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the further case of the
Plaintiff that in consideration for release of the sand deposits or old
tailings to him by Defendant, he also made available to the Defendant, sand to
the officers of the Defendant upon presentation of chits signed by their Human
Resource Manager, with same countersigned by the Plaintiff.&nbsp; He also maintained private roadways linking
the Defendant’s concession to the area of the said deposits.&nbsp; Plaintiff tendered some of the signed chits
as Exhibit A series.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Plaintiff claimed that he paid
compensation to farmers who were affected by his operation of lifting the old
tailing from the Defendant’s concession.&nbsp;
The Defendant asked him to use the profit realized from the sale of the
sand or old tailings to defray the cost of the re-shaping and re-gravelling the
road from Atta Ne Atta to Bogoso Junction.&nbsp;
Plaintiff said by reason of this arrangements, he secured a credit
facility from his bankers in the sum of GH¢900,000.00 at an interest of 35% all
to the knowledge of Defendant in or about July 2015.&nbsp; This is because his sale of the tailings was
woefully inadequate to fund the reshaping and re-gravelling of the 16 kilometre
long Atta Ne Ata - Bogoso Junction road.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It is the further case of the
Plaintiff that he executed the re-shaping and re-gravelling of the road from
Atta Ne Atta to Bogoso under the supervision of the Defendant’s engineers.&nbsp; However, in or about November 2015, the
Defendant unilaterally and without just cause abrogated the
agreement/arrangement and immediately repossessed the sand deposits and rather
handed over same to third parties.&nbsp;
Aggrieved by the conduct of the Defendant, the Plaintiff instituted
action in the registry of the court below seeking the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>