BANK OF AFRICA (GHANA) LTD vs. 2K FARMS LTD AND 2 OTHERS [2018]DLSC5636

Date	2018-05-23
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/36/2018
Citation No.	[2018]DLSC5636

AKUFFO (MS) CJ (PRESIDING)

ANSAH JSC

ADINYIRA (MRS) JSC

YEBOAH JSC

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC

SAMUEL QUANSAH ANSAH WITH ESI PRAH ENNIN AND OSEI TUTU BONSU FOR

THE DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/APPELLANTS.

BRIGHT OKYERE-ADJEKUM FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.

[2018]DLSC5636
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BANK OF AFRICA (GHANA) LTD<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>2K FARMS LTD AND 2 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<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-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:0in;
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border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/36/2018&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;23RD
MAY, 2018 <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SAMUEL QUANSAH ANSAH WITH ESI PRAH ENNIN AND OSEI TUTU
BONSU FOR THE DEFENDANTS/APPELLANTS/APPELLANTS. <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

BRIGHT OKYERE-ADJEKUM FOR
THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>AKUFFO (MS) CJ (PRESIDING), ANSAH JSC, ADINYIRA (MRS)
JSC, YEBOAH JSC, BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC&nbsp; <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-top:0in;margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
text-indent:-.5pt;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ANSAH,
JSC:-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the
judgment of the Court of Appeal, (Civil Division), Accra, coram, their
Lordships V.D. Ofoe,&nbsp; JA (presiding),
F.G. Korbieh and Her Ladyship, C.H. Sowah JJA, which dismissed the appeal
against the judgment of the High Court brought before the said Court of Appeal
(from the judgment of the High Court on the grounds) that: <o:p></o:p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ‘(a)
The judgment is against the weight of evidence, <o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Court of Appeal erred when it
misapplied the law relating to the defense of an ‘Act of God’, and the
misapplication of the law has occasioned the defendants/Appellants/Appellants
substantial miscarriage of justice,&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The Court of Appeal did not apply the
time-honored principle that a court of law should set aside a default judgment
in the face of a valid defense to an action to pave the way for the
adjudication of the case on its merits. The position taken by the Court of
Appeal has occasioned the 1st, 2nd and 3rd
defendants/Appellants/Appellants a substantial miscarriage of justice; <o:p></o:p>(d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
In the face of triable issues raised by the
1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants/Appellants/Appellants as
borne out by the record of appeal, the Court of Appeal erred when it determined
them without remitting the controversies to the High Court for the adduction of
evidence;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Additional grounds of appeal may be filed
upon receipt of the record of proceedings. <o:p></o:p>No such additional
ground(s) have been filed so far by the appellants. <o:p></o:p>Reliefs sought from the
Supreme Court:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The appellants sought the
following reliefs from this court, namely, that: <o:p></o:p>“a. The judgment of the Court of
Appeal dated 18th June 2015, and by extension the decision of the
High Court, Accra, dated 9th April 2014, be set aside and the 1st,
2nd and 3rd defendants/appellants /appellants granted
unconditional leave to defend the suit in the High Cour</main>