NANA KWAME DWUBENG vs. YUSIF SULEMAN BUTU [2018]DLHC9315

Date	2018-03-29
Suit No.	SUIT NO. OCC 14/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC9315

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

SILAS KWAKU YEBOAH-AKOWUAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF

[2018]DLHC9315
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NANA
KWAME DWUBENG<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>YUSIF
SULEMAN BUTU<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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NO. OCC 14/2018&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE:
29TH
MARCH, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SILAS KWAKU YEBOAH-AKOWUAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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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>The
Plaintiff’s claim against the Defendant was for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
I.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order for the recovery of Forty-Nine
Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC49,000.00) being the amount Plaintiff advanced to
Defendant as the cost of clearing a Scania Marcopolo Bus at the Tema Port upon
reliance on the Defendant’s fraudulent misrepresentation.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
II.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Interest on the said amount to be calculated
at the prevailing commercial bank lending rate from 23rd day of May
2017, which said date the money was deposited into the defendant’s account at
Ghana Commercial Bank, until the date of final payment.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; III.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
General damages for breach of contract<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; IV.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Costs including solicitor’s fees<o:p></o:p>On
22nd January, 2018 the court entered interlocutory judgment in
favour of the Plaintiff for recovery of the principal sum of GHC49,000.00 plus
interest on the said amount at the commercial bank rate from 23rd
May, 2017 till date of final payment. The suit was, however, adjourned for
assessment of damages and for the award of costs.<o:p></o:p>The
law is that general damages lie for every infringement of an absolute right.
The Supreme Court held in the case of Delmas Agency Ghana Ltd v Food
Distributors International Ltd [2007/2008] SCGLR 748, 760 thus:<o:p></o:p>‘‘General damages is such as
the law will presume to be the probable or natural consequences of the
defendant’s act. It arises by inference of law and therefore need not be proved
by evidence. The law implies general damages in every infringement of an
absolute right. The catch is that only general damages are awarded.<o:p></o:p>Where a plaintiff has
suffered a properly quantifiable loss, he must plead specifically his loss and
prove it strictly. If he does not he is not entitled to anything unless general
damages are also appropriate.’’<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff per his reliefs stated in no uncertain terms that his claim was for
general damages not special damages. He rightly led evidence of specific
damages in support of the general damages sought. The Plaintiff’s attorney told
the court that the plaintiff would have made a net profit of GHC56,000.00 if
the defendant had not reneged on his promise to clear the 55 seater Marcopolo
Bus at the port and to supply the same to the plaintiff. He tendered Exhibit B,
the petty cash book of the plaintiff which suggests that the monthly net profit
made on a 55 seater bus by the plaintiff amounts to GHC5,600.00. He stated
further that it had been 10 months since the defendant rene</main>