UNI-SPAN GH. LTD. vs. GKL (GH) LTD & ANO [2017]DLHC9191

Date	2017-11-01
Suit No.	SUIT NO: CM/RPC/0212/17
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC9191

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE

EVANS ANABA ESQ. FOR DEFENDANTS

COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF ABSENT

<p class="mb-5" id="contentDlCitation"  hidden>[2017]DLHC9191</p>
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
color:#00B0F0">UNI-SPAN GH. LTD</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;tab-stops:134.25pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">SUIT NO: CM/RPC/0212/17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
1<sup>ST</sup> NOVEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">COUNSEL</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">:<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">EVANS ANABA, ESQ. FOR DEFENDANTS<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif">HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE<o:p></o:p></span></p>

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Defendants
have filed before me a Motion on Notice to Relist their Motion on Notice for
Stay of Execution of the Default Judgment entered by the Court against the
Defendants on 28<sup>th</sup> June, 2017 for their failure to file a defence to
the suit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">I have reviewed
the said motion paper and the supporting affidavit, as well as the affidavit
filed by the Plaintiff in opposition to the said motion.&nbsp; I have given my thoughtful consideration to
the rival contentions and arrangements professed by Counsel for both parties as
provided in the affidavits on the record.&nbsp;
I have also extensively reviewed the docket before me.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Court finds
that there is no merit in the application filed by the Defendants to relist the
said application.&nbsp; My reasons are set forth
below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The Court finds
that the Defendants have sought on various occasions to have the said Default
Judgment set aside, one way or the other, but on all those occasions neither
Counsel for Defendants nor the Defendants themselves appeared in Court to move
the applications.&nbsp; In fact, I am
referring to the application to set aside the Default Judgment in Default of
Defence and the Entry of Judgment as well as the application for stay of
execution.&nbsp; Both applications were struck
out by the Court for Want of Prosecution and punitive costs were awarded to the
Plaintiff on one of those occasions against Defendants.&nbsp; If this had happened on one occasion only,
the Court would have thought it was just a fluke.&nbsp; But struck out for Want of Prosecution twice,
indicates, to the clear thinking of the Court that is a pattern adopted by the
Defendants – i.e. filing applications and their failing to show up in Court to
prosecute same.&nbsp; To my mind, this would
amount to a clear pattern of attempting to delay the Plaintiff from executing
the judgment it has obtained.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">In any event, upon
reviewing the docket, it has come to the attention of the Court that the
execution process has already begun and monies being held on account of the
Defendants in one of their banks have been attached following garnishee
proceedings.&nbsp; In the light of this fact,
the Court deems it would run contrary to the effective and efficient delivery
of justice if the Court were to relist this matter.&nbsp; There must be an end to litigation at some
point.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Having been sued,
the Defendants ought to have been in Court to defend the claims made out
against them. Thus even if their Counsel was unable to attend Court on the said
date, as alleged by their Counsel, what prevented them from showing up on all
those occasions their applications were called and struck out for want of
prosecution.&nbsp; The Defendants at least
must be deemed to have been on notice that a trial was on-going against them and
execution had commenced, once their accounts being held in certain banks had
been garnished.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">Counsel for
Defendants also practices out of a firm of lawyers as the Court notes.&nbsp; The Court is therefore at a loss to image
whatever the reasons were that prevented the firm from sending another lawyer
from the firm to appear in this matter on the dates Counsel on record was
unable to attend Court.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">In the
circumstance, the Court does not find that he Defendants have disclosed any
special circumstances that warrant the favourable exercise of the discretion of
the Court in their favour to relist the suit as prayed for by Counsel for
Defendants. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-top:6.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:
150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">The motion is
therefore dismissed with prejudice.&nbsp; I
award cost of GH¢500.00 in favour of the Plaintiff assessed against the
Defendants jointly and severa</main>