STANDARD CHARTERED BANK vs. CONTINENTAL COMMODITIES TRADING CO. LTD & 3 ORS Y. DISTRIBUTION LTD [2018]DLHC10146

STANDARD CHARTERED BANK vs. CONTINENTAL COMMODITIES TRADING CO. LTD & 3 ORS Y.... [2018]DLHC10146

Date	2018-02-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/0180/16
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC10146

JUSTICE GEORGE BUADI J.

NII ARDAY CLEGG FOR THE CLAIMANT

KWABENA GYAMFI NIMAKO WITH EDEM NYANKSON AND SUSAN

NYARKOTEY FOR THE EXECUTION CREDITOR BANK (HOLDING THE BRIEF OF JULIANA TORPEY)

[2018]DLHC10146
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >STANDARD CHARTERED BANK<o:p></o:p>(PLT/J/EXEC/DEFT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CONTINENTAL COMMODITIES TRADING CO.
LTD &amp; 3 ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFT/J/DEBTORS)<o:p></o:p>Y. DISTRIBUTION LTD<o:p></o:p>(CLAIMANT/PLT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT
(COMMERCIAL DIVISION FIVE), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NII ARDAY CLEGG FOR THE
CLAIMANT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

KWABENA
GYAMFI NIMAKO, WITH EDEM NYANKSON AND SUSAN NYARKOTEY FOR THE EXECUTION
CREDITOR BANK (HOLDING THE BRIEF OF JULIANA TORPEY)<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>JUSTICE GEORGE BUADI J.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;1.0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Background
<o:p></o:p>1.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This is an interpleader proceedings following notice of claim
the claimant filed on 9 May 2017 to assert rights and ownership to 6,205 bags
of rice that it claims to have stocked in two sheds in a warehouse at Tema, which
the execution creditor bank had attached in execution of a consent judgment of
this court dated 8 June 2016. The consent judgment relates to a suit the execution
creditor bank then as plaintiff commenced against four defendants/judgment
debtors<a href="file:///C:/Users/aggie/Desktop/2020-21/Criminal/STANDARD%20CHARTERED%20BANK%20VRS.%20CONTINENTAL%20COMMODITIES%20(2021_01_25%2010_26_20%20UTC).docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title="">[1]</a>,
which the parties ultimately settled by filling terms of settlement. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;1.2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The defendant judgment debtors, particularly 1st defendant,
Continental Commodities Trading Company Limited (CCTC) who I shall describe here
as the judgment debtor breached terms of the consent judgment. The bank
successfully secured order of the court to execute the consent judgment, but it
encountered initial challenges, as the security personnel at post at the CCTC’s
warehouse prevented the bank entry into the warehouse to undertake the
requisite inventory of stock at the warehouse. Pursuant to an order of the
court dated 3 May 2017, the bank forcibly unlocked the warehouse; it undertook valuation
of the stock therein, and also to cart for sale bags of rice in execution of
the consent judgment.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2.0&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Statement
of case<o:p></o:p>2.1&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Claimant’s case<o:p></o:p>The claimant’s case is that, per
a lease agreement with Davenport Developers Limited (DDL) for a term of five
years commencing January 1, 2017, it is the owner and user of Shed Nos. 1 and
17 of the warehouse of the judgment debtor CCTC, Tema, and that the bank in
execution of judgment had picked and carted away from the warehouse 6,205 bags
of rice from the warehouse valued at GH¢744,600. It claims therefore ownership
of the stock of rice, Sultana (5X5), and thus recovery of the value of the
brand rice the bank carted from the warehouse and had sold in execution of the judgment.
It also impugns the procedural integrity of the execution. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;2.2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The case of the judgment creditor bank<o:p></o:p>The bank’s case in brief is
that it had known the main judgment debtor CCTC for long time, who had made it believe
that the subject matter warehouse is their wholly owned facility in their sole
exclusive use. This is evident by the inscription of the name ‘CCTC’ boldly
written on the warehouse. With the warehouse being wholly owned and in
exclusive use of CCTC, the bank avers that the stock in the warehouse belongs
to the judgment debtor. The bank disputes claimant’s claim that it owned parts
of the warehouse and the rice stock. Besides, the bank avers that the claimant
bears some link, ties and relationship with the judgment debtor, and that arising
from the ties, the judgment debtors, CCTC in particular has colluded and
connived with</main>