RICHARD PEPRAH vs . THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, GHANA PRISONS SERVICE & 3 OTHERS [2019]DLCA6932

Date	2019-06-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/78/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA6932

MARIAMAOWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J. A.

WELBOURNE (MRS) J.A.

MICHAEL BAAFI FOR STATE ATTORNEY WITH MRS. EDEM ACQUAH

BARIMAH-AGYEKUM HINNEH FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2019]DLCA6932
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >RICHARD PEPRAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs .<o:p></o:p>THE DIRECTOR GENERAL,
GHANA PRISONS SERVICE &amp; 3 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/ APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MICHAEL BAAFI
FOR STATE ATTORNEY WITH MRS. EDEM ACQUAH.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

BARIMAH-AGYEKUM
HINNEH FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">CORAM:&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">MARIAMAOWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J. A., WELBOURNE
(MRS) J.A.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;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>WELBOURNE (MRS.), JA:<o:p></o:p>Brief Facts:<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff
(Richard Peprah) then a mason was serving a three (3) month jail term for the
offence of stealing his uncle’s Multi TV decoder worth One Hundred Ghana cedis
(GHȼ100).<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff on
the 9th of June, 2016, having served 2 months with a month remaining
for his release from lawful custody was escorted by the 4th
Defendant, Sergeant Frank Sasu together with other inmates numbering five (5)
of the Ghana Prisons Service, Sunyani Prisons, to a block factory, owned by the
Prisons Service to convey cement blocks to various destinations for sale. The
Plaintiff together with the other inmates were ordered to sit at the back of a
KIA commercial truck which was hired by the Prison Authorities to cart the said
cement blocks. After returning from two deliveries and on their way to the
block factory to complete a third trip the Plaintiff claimed that on a cross
section of the road within the Sunyani township at the traffic light near the
Sunyani Police Station, the commercial truck driver abruptly applied his brakes
to avoid collision with a car in front of him and as a result he was thrown
overboard the vehicle. He landed in the middle of the asphalt road and was
subsequently rushed to the Regional Hospital Sunyani where he underwent a
couple of surgeries. The Plaintiff further submitted that as a result of the
reckless driving of the 3rd Defendant, he sustained severe injuries
that have permanently incapacitated him. <o:p></o:p>Consequently, the
Plaintiff commenced an action in the tort of negligence against the Director of
Ghana Prisons Service, the Attorney General, the commercial driver and the
Sergeant who escorted him and the other inmates for the following reliefs:-<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-.5in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
General damages
of Five Hundred Thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢500, 000.00) for his incapacitation
which said condition was a direct consequence of the negligent conduct of the
defendants.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:.75in;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-.5in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo1">