MORGAN KWAME OPOKU vs. AKOSUA OSAA [2019]DLCA6346

Date	2019-03-21
Suit No.	CIVILAPPEAL NO. H1/214/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6346

HONYENUGA J.A. (PRESIDING)

SOWAH J.A.

GAISIE J.A.

KWASI ADU MANTEY FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT

MR. ANTHONY K. DABI FOR DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA6346
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MORGAN KWAME OPOKU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>AKOSUA OSAA<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVILAPPEAL
NO. H1/214/2018&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;DATE: 21ST
MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>KWASI
ADU MANTEY FOR PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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HONYENUGA, J.A. (PRESIDING), SOWAH, J.A. AND GAISIE, J.A. <o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <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:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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</div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">SOWAH<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:
Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">,
J.A.:<o:p></o:p>Introduction<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff/Appellant commenced an action at the High Court, Accra for a
declaration of title to a piece or parcel of land at Onyinase opposite the
Odogono Senior High School, recovery of possession, damages and perpetual
injunction. The suit was originally commenced by the plaintiff/appellant
against just the 1st Defendant/Respondent. However subsequently, one
Augustina Akyea was joined as second defendant. However, after the trial court
dismissed her counterclaim and decided in favour of the 1st
defendant/respondent, the second defendant did not join the appeal. Hereafter the plaintiff/appellant and
the 1st defendant/respondent will be referred to respectively as
‘the appellant’ and ‘the respondent’.<o:p></o:p>Background Facts <o:p></o:p>The Appellant,
Morgan Kwame Opoku acquired a piece of land in 2005 through an assignment made
to him by one Dauda Larbi (herein after called the Grantor). An indenture
exhibit C, indicates that the grantor’s interest in the land which was a 99
year lease from the Gbawe Kwatei family was assigned to the appellant on the 8th
of March, 2005. According to the appellant, he quickly went into possession of
the land by depositing building materials on the land and then left for Europe.
The appellant averred that he later went ahead and registered his interest in
the land and was accordingly issued a certificate No. GA 30572 by the Land
Title Registry on 8th September, 2009. This was tendered as exhibit
D. According to the appellant, when he went on to the land to develop it, a woman
came and claimed ownership; he therefore confronted the grantor who encouraged
him (the appellant) to investigate the ownership of the land. The appellant
went ahead to conduct a Search at the Lands Commission. The results of that
Search which was tendered as exhibit E indicated that the land was owned by the
Gbawe Kwatei family after a judgement was made in their favour. The family
leased a portion of land to Dauda L. Laryea on 10th July 1977. The
result further indicated an assignment dated 8th March 2005 between
Dauda L. Laryea (grantor) and Morgan Kwame Opoku (assignee). In the light of
this the appellant commenced the action against the respondent. <o:p></o:p>At
trial, the appellant’s witness [PW1] was his grantor Dauda</main>