THE REGISTERED TRUSTEES OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA vs. PHINEAS PAITOO [2019]DLHC8794

Date	2019-07-25
Suit No.	SUIT NO. LD/0304/2016
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8794

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG

JOYCE AGYEMANG ATTAFUAH ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF

HARUNA MAAMAH ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT

[2019]DLHC8794
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REGISTERED TRUSTEES
OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA (PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>PHINEAS PAITOO <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH 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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SUIT NO. LD/0304/2016&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;DATE: 25TH JULY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>JOYCE
AGYEMANG ATTAFUAH ESQ., FOR PLAINTIFF&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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HARUNA
MAAMAH ESQ., FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ANTHONY OPPONG<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="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
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solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Plaintiff church purchased a piece of land from Raabshold
Company Limited in 2013. The land is of the size of 0.98 acre. According to Plaintiff
church, they did all diligent searches on the land and satisfied themselves
that the land acquired belongs to Raabshold Company Limited, their grantor.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Plaintiff church averred that immediately after purchase of
the land, they entered into possession and initiated a multi-purpose
Recreational Center and in the process they were confronted by members of Iddrisu
Ayaa, Odai Ntow and Abe We families, who claimed that they were the original
owners of the land and the lessors of Raabshold Company Limited. The families
claimed further that they had obtained Court judgment as a result of which title
in the land was no longer in Raabshold. Consequently, at a meeting with the
representatives of the said families, the Plaintiff agreed to pay and the
representatives agreed to take GH¢5,000 and it was paid as a sign of good
neighborliness.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>However, in 2014 when Plaintiff church went back to the land
to work, they were approached by the Defendant who claimed ownership of the
land by virtue of purchase through an auction sale supervised by the High Court
based on the same judgment the families had earlier claimed to have obtained.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It is this claim of right to the land by Defendant that has
culminated in this dispute where Plaintiff claims declaration of title;
recovery of possession; perpetual injunction; damages for trespass and cost
including litigation expenses.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendant
on the other hand claims to be the lawful owner of the disputed land having
purchased it from one Akwasi Oppong. He claimed that Akwasi Oppong legally
acquired the land through purchase at an auction sale under the auspices of a Court
of competent jurisdiction and has a deed of assignment and a Certificate of
Purchase from the Court to that effect.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendant averred that at all material times he defended his
interest in the land relying on information and documents secured from his
grantor (Akwasi Oppong) who is currently resident outside the country.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Defendant averred that shareholders and some directors of Plaintiff’s
grantor Raabshold Co. Ltd. engaged in litigation at the High Court and the
Supreme Court in respect of land they acquired in circumstances similar to the
acquisition of the land by Raabshold Co Ltd. and they lost those cases in 2006
and 2010 respectively and so they were aware of the deficiency in the title of
the land and yet Raabshold Co Ltd. acting through Winfred Otuafro Aryeh, who
happened to be the sole surviving officer of Raabshold Co. Ltd., the other
directors, Victor Selormey and Tenmote Akakpo having been dead as of 2013,
purported to grant the land to Plaintiff when he knew of the defect in title in
the land.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>