ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC vs. HISS HANDS HOUSING AGENCY AND ACCESS BANK (GHANA) LIMITED [2017]DLSC2091

ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC vs. HISS HANDS HOUSING AGENCY AND ACCESS BANK (GHANA) LIMIT... [2017]DLSC2091

Date	2017-12-06
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/49/2016
Citation No.	[2017]DLSC2091

ADINYIRA JSC (PRESIDING)

YEBOAH JSC

GBADEGBE JSC

AKOTO-BAMFO JSC

BENIN JSC

KWABENA ADU-KUSI FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

CHARLES POUZUING FOR THE IST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

[2017]DLSC2091
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ECOBANK NIGERIA PLC<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>HISS HANDS HOUSING AGENCY AND <o:p></o:p>ACCESS BANK (GHANA) LIMITED<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>&nbsp;[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<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. J4/49/2016&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&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: 6TH DECEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>KWABENA ADU-KUSI
FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT<o:p></o: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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CHARLES POUZUING FOR THE IST
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

ADINYIRA JSC (PRESIDING), YEBOAH JSC, GBADEGBE JSC,
AKOTO-BAMFO JSC AND BENIN JSC &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<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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JUDGEMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>GBADEGBE
JSC:-&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The plaintiff bank took out the writ of summons
herein claiming against the defendants certain reliefs touching and concerning
its entitlement to a specified sum of money transferred from its bank account
held with BCC, a bank in the Republic of Chad into the account of the 1st
defendant with the 2nd defendant’s branch in Takoradi.&nbsp; The plaintiff’s claim did not find favor with
the trial High Court and an appeal therefrom to the Court of Appeal was
dismissed. As a result of the said dismissal, we have before us in these
proceedings an onslaught directed at the judgment of the Court of Appeal. For
reasons of convenience, the parties to the proceedings herein shall bear the designation
which they bore in the trial court. Accordingly, the parties shall be described
as the plaintiff, the 1st defendant and the 2nd
defendant.<o:p></o:p>The relevant facts on which the action herein is
based may be stated shortly as follows. The plaintiff, a bank incorporated in
Nigeria desirous of expanding its business operations in Chad opened an account
with BCC, a bank in the Republic of Chad in the sum of USD 6,000,000.00.&nbsp; According to the unchallenged evidence, this
was the equivalent of 36 million CFA, which is the minimum capital requirement
under the Laws of the Republic of Chad in regard to banks.&nbsp; The evidence provides further that sometime
after the lodgment of the money in the said account, its attention was drawn to
certain developments relating to the account wherefore it called for
transactions on the account for its study. An examination of the transactions
on the account disclosed to its surprise that an amount of USD 2,368,725.00 had
been transferred therefrom into the account of the 1st defendant
held with the 2nd defendant’s Takoradi branch.&nbsp; As the transaction was unauthorized and
indeed, unknown to them, they took out the instant action. By the amended writ
of summons, the following reliefs were sought from the High Court.<o:p></o:p>(1)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the plaintiffs have not
authorised the transfer of the sum of USD 2, 368,725.00 or at all into the
accounts of the 1st Defendant with the 2nd Defendant
Intercontinental Bank, Ghana Limited or at all<o:p></o:p>(2) A declaration that the
transfer of USD 2,368,725.00 into the 1st Defendant’s accounts with
Intercontinental Bank, Ghana Limited was obtained by fraud.<o:p></o:p>(3) An order restraining
the 2nd Defendant from honoring any cheques, bills or other
instructions for the purpose of withdrawing or otherwise dealing with any and
all sums currently held in the accounts of the 1st Defendant with
the 2nd Defendant.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-US" 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;">(4)&nbsp;