ROBERT MENSAH vs. GARIBA MOHAMMED AND ANOTHER [2018]DLHC9324

Date	2018-11-23
Suit No.	SUIT NO. OCC 65/2016
Citation No.	[2018]DLHC9324

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

EVA OKYERE FOR THE PLAINTIFF

JAMES MARSHALL BELIEB FOR THE DEFENDANTS

[2018]DLHC9324
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ROBERT
MENSAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>GARIBA
MOHAMMED AND ANOTHER<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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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NO. OCC 65/2016&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 23RD NOVEMBER, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EVA
OKYERE FOR THE PLAINTIFF<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">JAMES MARSHALL BELIEB FOR THE DEFENDANTS<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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>One of the issues set down for trial in this
suit is:<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk530726575">“Whether
or not the Plaintiff is a legal entity with the capacity to sue and be sued.”<o:p></o:p></a>After
the case management conference an application was made for the determination of
the afore stated issue which is for all intents and purposes a preliminary
point of law.<o:p></o:p>On
14th May, 2018 the court ordered the parties to file their written
submissions for the determination of the preliminary point of law. Both counsel
have complied with the order by filing their respective submissions.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff is claiming that he sued in a representative capacity but the
Defendants are challenging this assertion.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff’s claim to capacity to institute the instant action is captured in
the amended statement of claim as follows:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The plaintiff is a licensed small scale miner
engaged in the mining of gold and leader of the group known as, <a name="_Hlk530683900">Thy Kingdom Mining Group</a>.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Plaintiff avers that sometime in 2011, he
together with nine other persons, formed a group by name, Thy Kingdom Mining
Group, to obtain a Small Scale Mining Licence from the Minerals Commission, as
is the settled practice of the Commission, to operate a mining concession at
Prambonso, Fosu in the Obuasi Municipal District of the Ashanti Region of
Ghana.<o:p></o:p>In
his statement of defence, the 2nd defendant rebutted the above claim
as follows:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Save as hereinafter expressly or impliedly
admitted, the 2nd defendant denies each and every allegation of fact
as if same were expressly set out and denied seriatim.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Paragraph 1 is denied and the Plaintiff shall
be put to strict proof.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Paragraph 4 is denied to the extent that
there is no legal entity called Thy Kingdom Mining Group, 2nd
Defendant is not in a position to admit or deny the rest of the said paragraph.
<o:p></o:p>Clearly,
the parties are at cross purposes on the issue of the plaintiff’s capacity.<o:p></o:p>Capacity
to sue is a point of law that may be raised in a pleading and can be determined
by means of a preliminary hearing. This, may lead to the disposal of the case
without goi</main>