CASA TRASACCO vs. CONATI FRANCESHETTI [2017]DLHC3700

Date	2017-11-02
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0684/16
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC3700

GEORGE K. KOOMSON JUSTICE OF THE HIGH COURT

NANA AGYEI BAFFOUR AWUAH FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT

KWAME AMENANOR TANNOR FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2017]DLHC3700
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CASA TRASACCO<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CONATI FRANCESHETTI<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL
DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0684/16&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; &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;2ND NOVEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NANA AGYEI BAFFOUR AWUAH FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT <o:p></o:p>KWAME AMENANOR TANNOR FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>

</div>RULING<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>In this application, the Defendant/Applicant prays the Court for
an Order discharging the Order to serve the Writ of Summons outside the
jurisdiction and also to set aside the Writ under Order 9 rule 8 co C.I. 47 and
or under the inherent jurisdiction of the Court. <o:p></o:p>The main contention of the applicant is that the Ghanaian courts
do not have jurisdiction to hear the present suit. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>A brief summary of the case before me is that, on the 19th October,
2016, the plaintiff issued a Writ of Summons against the defendant asking for
the following reliefs:- <o:p></o:p>a. General damages of USD 1,000,000.00 or its cedi equivalent for
loss of business profit and good will. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>b. Interest on USD 1,000,000.00 or its cedi equivalent, from
August 10, 2016, at the prevailing Commercial Bank lending rate up to and
inclusive of date of final payment. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>c. Costs including lawyers’ fees assessed at 25% of the claim
adjudged by the court. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The defendant entered a conditional appearance and is seeking the
Order of the Court to set aside the writ of summons and its service on the
defendant. The case of the Applicant is that the cause of action purporting to
ground the action are vaguely contained in paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the
statement of claim which in a nutshell is to the effect that the applicant per
e-mail communication influenced the staff of the plaintiff/respondent to divert
its customers to buy from the defendant in the Republic of Italy and that this
constitutes an economic tort of unfair trade practice. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The applicant contends that this court has no jurisdiction to hear
and determine the suit filed by the plaintiff/respondent. In that regard, the
applicant contends further that the grant of leave to serve the writ of summons
and statement of claim out of the jurisdiction was done in error as the court
lacked jurisdiction to grant the said leave. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The applicant argues that the applicant is not a company
incorporated in Ghana and has at all material times had no branch , office or
agent in Ghana and thus, was not operating in Ghana at the time the suit was
commenced. <o:p></o:p>