DR. EDWARD O. ASANTE AND DR. OSEI TUTU SAFO vs. KWAKU PREKO [2018]DLHC16522

Date	2018-12-17
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FAL/12/2016
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC16522

HIS LORDSHIP K. A. GYIMAH

ANNIE EMEFA FIAWOO FOR PLAINTIFFS PRESENT.

PROSPER YAW NTOW WITH DOROTHY ESINAM TETTEY FOR PAUL OPOKU FOR DEFENDANT PRESENT.

[2018]DLHC16522
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >DR. EDWARD O. ASANTE AND
DR. OSEI TUTU SAFO <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWAKU PREKO <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, 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;">

SUIT NO. FAL/12/2016&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;DATE:
17TH&nbsp;DECEMBER 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>ANNIE
EMEFA FIAWOO FOR PLAINTIFFS PRESENT.<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>CORAM<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>&nbsp;<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;">

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

</div>&nbsp;Introduction<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This action is in respect of a parcel
of land situate at Oshiyie and the action brings to the fore the issues
surrounding the ownership of land at Oshiyie.&nbsp;
Although the parties in attempting to prove their case had to lead
evidence with respect to their respective grantors’ title over the land in
dispute and invariably over who has the right to alienate lands at Oshiyie, it
is my considered opinion that the issue of who has the right to alienate land
at Oshiyie should be properly dealt with in an action duly contested between
the respective claimants to ownership of land at Oshiyie.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;I will limit this judgment to the
specific parcel of land before me and I must state at the outset that any
determination made before me in this judgment does not extend to all the lands
at Oshiyie but to the specific parcel of land which is the subject matter of
this suit.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Plaintiffs’
case<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The 1st plaintiff refers to
himself as a retired lecturer at Ghana Institute of Management and Public
Administration (GIMPA) and the 2nd plaintiff also refers to himself
as a dental surgeon resident in Germany.&nbsp;
It is the plaintiffs’ case that sometime in 1994, they together with one
Dr. S. K. Dapaah (deceased) bought the disputed land from the Bosomprah family
of Oshiyie represented by Armah Kwaku, Abeka Otoo and Ayeletse Nii Obusumfour
acting together with the consent and concurrence of the principal members of the
family.&nbsp; They paid for the land in cash
and in kind – the purchase of an outboard motor.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Plaintiffs aver that after the
purchase, they were put in possession and they put caretakers on the land.&nbsp; They then commenced registration of their
interest at the Land Registration Division of the Lands Commission where they
were issued with a ‘yellow card’.&nbsp; It is
their case that during the registration, a surveyor from the Survey and Mapping
Division of the Lands Commission was tasked to place corner pillars on the land
for the purposes of plotting, which assignment he substantially completed.&nbsp; The plaintiffs aver that sometime in the
2000s, one of their caretakers informed them that there was a trespasser on the
land and the 1st plaintiff petitioned the police for redress.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The plaintiffs further aver that the
registration of their land later stalled as the Lands Commission informed them
that they have received multiple requests for registration of the same
land.&nbsp; It is the plaintiffs’ case that
the said request reveals that they were the first to apply for registration of
the land. The plaintiffs aver that the defendant has encroached on their land
and placed armed guards on the land and it is only the court that can restrain
the defendant from his illegal activities. The plaintiffs therefore claim the
following reliefs against the defendants:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;
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