MICHAEL ASIAMAH AND JOSEPH BORTIER BORTEY vs. KWAMENA ADDO AGYARKO, NII OTO HARRISON AND DIAMOND NYAMEKOR [2019]DLCA8860

MICHAEL ASIAMAH AND JOSEPH BORTIER BORTEY vs. KWAMENA ADDO AGYARKO, NII OTO HAR... [2019]DLCA8860

Date	2019-11-14
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/143/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA8860

B. F. ACKAH-YENSU JA (PRESIDING)

I. O. TANKO AMADU JA

AMMA GAISIE JA

[2019]DLCA8860
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHAEL ASIAMAH AND JOSEPH BORTIER BORTEY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/
RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWAMENA ADDO AGYARKO (1ST DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT), NII OTO HARRISON<o:p></o:p>(2ND DEFENDANT) AND DIAMOND NYAMEKOR (3RD DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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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CIVIL APPEAL NO.:
H1/143/2019&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:&nbsp; 14TH NOVEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p>B.
F. ACKAH-YENSU JA (PRESIDING), I. O. TANKO AMADU JA, AMMA GAISIE JA<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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="text-align:center;border:none;
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</div>B. ACKAH-YENSU, JA<o:p></o:p>In this
appeal against the Ruling of the High Court (Land Division) Accra, delivered on
26th January 2018, the 1st Defendant/Applicant/Appellant
(hereinafter referred to simply as the “Appellant”) prays that the entire
Ruling of the court below, together with the costs awarded, be set aside and
the suit be dismissed.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>FACTS<o:p></o:p>These
are the matters that have given rise to the instant appeal.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On
24th June 2004, the Appellant issued a writ against the 2nd
Defendant herein and the 1st Plaintiff/Respondent/Respondent (to be
referred to as the “1st Respondent” hereinafter) at the Circuit
Court in Suit No. C1/31/04 titled: Kwabena
Addo Adjarko v Nii Ato Harrison and Michael Asiamah. &nbsp;From the judgment found on page 65 of the
Record of Appeal (ROA) and marked Exhibit KAA-“4”, the Appellant’s claims were
as follows:<o:p></o:p>“(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Declaration of title over the plot
described in the schedule and commonly known as plot No. 3 – All that piece or
parcel of land situate, lying and being at Batsoonaa, on the South measuring
170 feet M/L, North 335 feet M/L and covering an area of 0.84 acre.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Recovery of possession of the plots of
land.<o:p></o:p>(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order to expunge the defendant and or
defendant’s grantor’s name from the public records on grounds of fraud.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (d)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; General Damages for trespass.<o:p></o:p>(e)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Perpetual Injunction restraining the
defendant and his agents from doing anything on the land.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (f)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages for fraud.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
Circuit Court delivered its judgment in the said case on 5th
December 2013 in favour of the Appellant.&nbsp;
The judgment was executed on 24th February 2017 and the
Appellant put in possession of the land in dispute.&nbsp; Prior to the judgment in Suit NO. C1/31/04, the
Circuit Court, in case No. 1032/94 titled The
Republic v Koiwah Investment Company Ltd. &amp; 2 Ors., in its judgment
dated 28th June 1996, held that 2nd
Plaintiff/Respondent/Respondent’s (also to be referred to as 2nd
Respondent hereinafter) family document covering the land 1st
Respondent claimed, was fictitious.&nbsp; An
application brought by the defendant (Appellant herein) to dismiss the suit for
want of jurisdiction was granted and 2nd Respondent’s action was
dismissed (Exhibit KAA “6(b)” on pages 198-297 of ROA).<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
2nd Respondent herein also filed a writ in Suit No. EI/57/2015
titled: Joseph Bortier Borteye v Kwabena
Addo Agyarko at the High Court, Land Division, Tema, to impugn the judgment
of the Circuit Court, and for a declaration of title of the land in dispute
(Exhibits KAA “6” and KAA “6a”, on pages 193-197 of ROA).&nbsp; Also the Court of Appeal in Civil Appeal NO.
H1/56/2016 titled: Cephas Okuonu Addo
(Substituted by J. B. Bortey) v Koiwah Investment Co. Ltd. &amp; 3 Ors., on
Jul</main>