EASTERN ALLOYS COMPANY LIMITED vs. SILVERSTAR AUTO LIMITED [2018]DLSC396

Date	2018-05-09
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/55/2017
Citation No.	[2018]DLSC396

AKUFFO (MS) CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

HAROLD ATUGUBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

K. FREDUA-AGYEMAN DANSO FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT /RESPONDENT

[2018]DLSC396
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EASTERN
ALLOYS COMPANY LIMITED<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SILVERSTAR AUTO LIMITED<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>

&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; &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:
9TH MAY, 2018<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>HAROLD
ATUGUBA FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

K.
FREDUA-AGYEMAN DANSO FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT /RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>AKUFFO
(MS) CJ (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC, YEBOAH JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

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

</div>ADINYIRA (MRS), JSC:-<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>FACTS OF THE CASE<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff/Appellant/Appellant (Appellant), Eastern Alloys Company, a limited
liability company, incorporated under the laws of Ghana, primarily engaged in
the processing and production of aluminum products and also engaged in haulage,
was a defendant in an earlier suit numbered RPC/268/07, before the High Court
(Commercial Division), Accra; whilst the &nbsp;Defendant/Respondent/Respondent (Respondent)
Silver Star Auto Ltd, a limited liability company, incorporated under the laws
of Ghana, engaged in the sale and servicing of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and spare
parts, was the plaintiff in the said suit.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
claim in the earlier suit was for an outstanding balance of money, owed by the
appellant, in respect of workshop services rendered by the respondent on Benz
trucks, it sold to the appellant. The appellant filed a defence and
counterclaim. The dispute was settled at the pre-trial settlement stage and a
consent judgment was duly entered on 30 January 2008.<o:p></o:p>On
17 April 2014, the appellant issued a writ of summons with a statement of claim
in relation to 25 units of Mercedes Benz Actros trucks claiming general damages
from the respondent for breach of implied warranty of fitness, replacement
value of affected trucks and costs.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
respondent filed a statement of defence to the action and then brought an
application under Order 11 rule 18(1) (b) (d) of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules 2004, (C.I. 47), on grounds inter alia that the action was an abuse of process, as the matters
raised in the appellant’s statement of claim were raised as a defence in the
earlier suit. The respondent also raised an additional issue that the
appellant’s action was caught by the Limitation Act, 1972, (NRCD54).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
High Court upheld the objection and struck out the suit on 29 May 2015 and this
ruling was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in their judgment dated 14 July 2016.
Their Lordships at&nbsp; the Court of Appeal were
of the view that: “the main issue of contention is a question of fact whether
or not as at the time of the earlier judgment the cause of action which is the
alleged defects in the gear boxes of trucks had accrued. If it had but the
appellant failed to raise the issue in its counterclaim but waited until 2014
to institute action, then the contention that it constitutes piece meal
litigation and abuse of process may be maintainable.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>This
is an appeal filed on 14 July 2016 against the judgment of the Court of Appeal,
Accra. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>GROUNDS OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p>The
Appellant has raised four grounds of appeal before this Honourable Court to
wit;<o:p></o:p>