ACCESS BANK GHANA LIMITED (PLAINTIFF) vs. MARKET DIRECT COMPANY LIMITED& ORS (DEFENDANTS) MR. ERIC NANA NIPAH AND MR. VISH ASHIAGBOR (JOINT RECEIVERS/ MANAGERS/APPLICANTS/RESPONDENTS) CAL BANK LIMITED (RESPONDENT/APPLICANT) [2019]DLHC7152

ACCESS BANK GHANA LIMITED (PLAINTIFF) vs. MARKET DIRECT COMPANY LIMITED& ORS (DE... [2019]DLHC7152

Date	2019-06-17
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/0048/2016
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC7152

HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).

EUGENE AMPONSAH FOR RESPONDENT/APPLICANT

A. A. AKUAKU JNR. FOR RECEIVERS/MANAGERS/APPLICANTS/RESPONDENTS MARGARET OWUSU FOR PLAINTIFF

[2019]DLHC7152
																																						<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" >ACCESS BANK GHANA
LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MARKET DIRECT COMPANY
LIMITED&amp; ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>MR. ERIC NANA NIPAH AND
MR. VISH ASHIAGBOR<o:p></o:p>(JOINT RECEIVERS/
MANAGERS/APPLICANTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>CAL BANK LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION),
ACCRA]<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">

SUIT
NO. CM/0048/2016 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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:
17TH JUNE, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>EUGENE AMPONSAH FOR
RESPONDENT/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>A. A. AKUAKU JNR. FOR RECEIVERS/MANAGERS/APPLICANTS/RESPONDENTS<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">

MARGARET
OWUSU FOR PLAINTIFF&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE K.
KOOMSON (J).<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>On the 15th April, 2019 this
Court ordered the Respondent/Applicant herein Cal Bank Ghana Limited to account
and retire funds to the Receivers/Managers of Market Direct Company Limited,
the 1st Defendant herein. Not satisfied with the decision of the
court, the Respondent/Applicant has brought the present application for the
suspension of the order made on the 15th April, 2019, after lodging
an appeal against the said decision.<o:p></o:p>I have read the application and the
supporting affidavit. I have also read the affidavit in opposition. I have
given consideration to the oral submissions made by both Counsel for and
against the grant of the application.<o:p></o:p>I must say that the present application
seeks to invoke the inherent power of the Court to suspend its lawful orders.
For a Court to however, suspend its orders, the Applicant must establish to the
satisfaction of the Court the existence of special or exceptional circumstances
warranting the suspension of the order. And to re-echo what the Supreme Court
stated in GOLDEN BEACH HOTELS (GH) LTD.
v PACK PLUS INT. LTD. [2012] 1 SCGLR 452 that “it was necessary for the
preconditions for a successful application for an order for suspension of the
order of the High Court, to be spelt out clearly and authoritatively, otherwise
the settled rule of practice on executable and non-executable orders would be
rendered irrelevant.&nbsp; logically, the
preconditions for triggering orders for suspension of orders of Lower Courts
and stay proceedings pending an appeal under rule 20 of the Supreme Court
Rules, 1996 (CI.16), had to be stricter and narrower than those for an ordinary
application for stay of execution…”<o:p></o:p>The jurisdiction to suspend orders or
stay proceedings it has been said is discretionally and would be exercised if
there were special or exceptional circumstances warranting it. And a Court
would not suspend its orders or stay proceedings in the hope that the appeal
may success: See BRUTUW v AFERBA &amp;
ANOTHER [1979] GLR 566.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>Again, in APPAH v BARNOR [1987-1988] 1 GLR 489. The Court stated:<o:p></o:p>“For
the application to be granted, the Applicant must allege and prove by affidavit
special circumstances why the application should be granted.&nbsp; The special circumstances may be destruction
of the subject matter of the appeal before it is determined or that the Applicant
will suffer an irreparable loss or the appeal will be rendered nugatory if
successful.”<o:p></o:p>In the instant case, all the points
raised by the Respondent/Applicant were given consideration by the Court before
the order to account and retire funds were made on the 15th April,
2019.&nbsp; The Respondent/Applicant only
repeated its arguments and has not established any special or exceptional
circumstances that warrants the suspension of the order made on the 15th
April, 2019.<o:p></o:p>It must be observed once again that with
the appointment of receivers and managers, the Cal Bank cannot purport to hold
money and keep same in respect of the 1st Defendant as if the 1st
Defendant is not under receivership.&nbsp; It
is the duty of the receivers and managers to see to the payment of all debts
including that of the Respondent/Applicant, which the 1st Defendant
avers. <o:p></o:p>