[2018]DLHC9310 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">ALS MINERALS/GEOCHEMISTRY<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">OWERE MINES LIMITED<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">[HIGH COURT, KUMASI]<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO. RPC 32/2017 DATE: 27<sup>TH</sup> JULY, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">J. B. DANQUAH FOR PLAINTIFF <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="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">YAW BOAFO WITH FRANCISCA AYIVOR FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> <b>CORAM:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none; padding:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This ruling is in respect of a preliminary legal matter raised by counsel for the defendant.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Counsel for the defendant has taken aim at the witness statement given and filed by one Godfrey Owusu Ansah who described himself as the Chief Accountant of the Plaintiff company. The said statement was given on behalf of the Plaintiff company. Counsel’s objection is that the since the plaintiff company has given a power of attorney to Global Debt Trackers to institute this action on its behalf and the said power of attorney has not been revoked, Godfrey Owusu Ansah as an officer of the company cannot testify on behalf of the company. Counsel cited the case of <a name="_Hlk520406946">Kofi Oduro v Cynthia Okyere </a>(2014) 69 GMJ 108 to 109 and submitted that since there is no limitation on the authority of the attorney to act and no provision is made in the power of attorney for the plaintiff to act while the instrument is still in existence, it is wrong for the plaintiff to act through its officer. He therefore invited the court to dismiss the instant action.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">In his response, counsel for the plaintiff stated that he is opposed to the application. He submitted that when a party appoints an attorney to act in his name and on his behalf, the party does not waive his right to perform any part of the duty assigned to the attorney. He stated that nothing in the Power of Attorney Act, 1998 suggests that when you appoint an attorney then you seize to have the power to act for yourself with respect to what you asked the attorney to do. He stated that if the framers of the Act wanted that situation to prevail they would have provided same in the Act. He submitted that according to Hon Sir Peter Millet<a name="_Hlk520405761">in his Encyclopedia of Forms Precedents</a>5<sup>th</sup> edition, vol 31, power of attorney is part of the law of agency and once an attorney is appointed he becomes the agent of the donor (principal). Consequently, a principal does not waive his right to act when he appoints an agent. Counsel for the plaintiff also submitted that the Kofi Oduro case (supra) must be distinguished from the instant case since in that case the principal limited the duty of the attorney to act only when the principal was out of the jurisdiction and therefore it stands to reason that when the principal was present in the jurisdiction then the attorney could not act for him. Counsel further submitted that the said officer of the company is only acting as a witness for the company and that under sections 59 and 60 of the Evidence Act, 1975 (NRCD 323) he is qualified as a witness. He referred to the case of <a name="_Hlk520411533">Isaac Osei Sarfo v Samuel Kwame Sackey</a> (2011) 31 GMJ CA and submitted that notwithstanding that a principal gave a power of attorney, it was proper for the principal to give evidence in the case. Counsel invited the court to dismiss the application.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This legal objection was raised after the case management conference when the parties had filed their witness statements. Indeed, it was the plaintiff’s witness statement that triggered this legal objection and since it borders on capacity of the plaintiff the court is amenable to deal with it, as the issue of capacity can be determined at any time during the proceeding.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The contentious witness statement is headed as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">WITNESS STATEMENT BY MR GODFREY OWUSU ANSAH (ACCOUNTANT) FOR PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">It is provided under paragraphs 1 and 2 of the witness statement as follows:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“1. I am Godfrey Owusu Ansah of H/No. Plot 24 Block ‘K’ Fankyenbra, Kumasi and also of ALS Minerals/Geochemistry Ashanti Region.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">2. I am the accounts Administrator of the Plaintiff company and have its consent and authority to make this statement for and on behalf of the company.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:36.0pt;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">Meanwhile the power of attorney that appointed and authorized Global Debt Trackers to act on behalf of the plaintiff states:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:36.0pt;line-height:200%"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">“POWER OF ATTORNEY<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">BY THIS POWER OF ATTORNEY made this 24<sup>th</sup> day of October, 2016, <b>ALS MINERALS/GEOCHEMISTRY OF PLOT 1<a name="_Hlk520460758">-</a>4, BLOCK ‘A’ BROFOYEDU, KUMASI</b>, do hereby appoint <b>GLOBAL DEBT TRACKERS OF MMROM, ADJACENT MTN OFFICE, KUMASI</b>, as its Lawful Attorney and to do the following acts and things;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">1. To demand and receive all outstanding debt or sums of money now or at any time owed (hereinafter the “Debts”) to <b>ALS MINERALS/GEOCHEMISTRY.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height: 200%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">2. To institute and defend any legal action to claim in respect of the Debts as well as to execute any agreement or discharge in relation to the recovery of the De