AFRICAN AUTOMOBILE LTD. vs. ADDO ATUAH & CO. [2017]DLCA5054

Date	2017-12-14
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/51/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA5054

KUSI-APPIAH (J.A). – PRESIDING

DZAMEFE (J.A.)

SUURBAAREH (J.A.)

MS. VIVIAN TETTEH FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

MS. FRANCISCA SERWAA BOATENG FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA5054
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >AFRICAN AUTOMOBILE LTD.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ADDO ATUAH &amp; CO.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

CIVIL APPEAL SUIT NO: H1/51/2017&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 14TH
DECEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MS. VIVIAN TETTEH FOR
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT<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">

MS.
FRANCISCA SERWAA BOATENG 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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

KUSI-APPIAH
(J.A). – PRESIDING, DZAMEFE &nbsp;(J.A.), SUURBAAREH
(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;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>KUSI-APPIAH, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>This
is an appeal against the judgment of the High Court (General Jurisdiction
Division) Accra, dated 19th day of November, 2015, in favour of the
Plaintiff/Respondent against the Defendant/Appellant.&nbsp; I will refer to the parties in the manner
they appeared at the court below.<o:p></o:p>By
its amended writ and statement of claim filed on 10th day of
November, 2014, the Plaintiff brought this action against the defendant for:<o:p></o:p>“(a) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order for recovery of the sum of GH¢36,029,835.99 and US$14,536 being the
balance due and owning on account of professional legal services provided by
the plaintiff to the defendant which sums remain unpaid despite several
demands.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest on the said sums at the going
commercial Bank and US Dollar rate of exchange on the cedi and US Dollar
respectively from the respective dates on which they fell due up to and
inclusive of the date of final payment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (c)
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Costs<o:p></o:p>The
case of the plaintiff as gathered from its pleadings and especially evidence at
the trial is that, it is a limited liability company registered under the laws
of Ghana and carries on business of rendering professional legal services to
individuals and corporate bodies. The plaintiff avers that between 2007 and
2013, the defendant company engaged it to render professional services to the
appellant in the recovery of debts in court, defence of law suits, and
representation before constitutional and other statutory bodies among others. <o:p></o:p>According
to the plaintiff, pursuant to the said engagement, it represented the defendant
in numerous cases in court and Parliamentary hearings, giving rise to the
appellant being indebted to plaintiff in the sum of GH¢36,029,835.99 and
US$14,536.00.<o:p></o:p>It
is the contention of the plaintiff that the defendant has failed to pay the
said legal fees despite repeated demands through verbal requests and issuance
of bills for payment.&nbsp; Hence, it issued
the writ of summons herein against the defendant company.<o:p></o:p>For
its part, the defendant, a limited liability company registered under the laws
of Ghana to do business (for sale and distribution of automobiles, auto spare
parts, and lubricants among other things) resisted the plaintiff’s claim by the
amended statement of defence and counterclaim filed on 1st December,
2014.&nbsp; The gravamen of the defendant’s
defence may be summed up as follows:<o:p></o:p>