UNION OIL GHANA LIMITED vs. BEN ANTWI [2019]DLHC8955

Date	2019-12-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/RPC/1130/2019
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC8955

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER A. DADZIE

CHARLES KUSI ESQ. OF LEGAL ALLIANCE TRADE FAIR ACCRA COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

KWASI ADU-MANTE ESQ. OF HALES SOLICITORS OSU ACCRA COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT

[2019]DLHC8955
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >UNION OIL GHANA LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BEN ANTWI<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT
(COMMERCIAL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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NO. CM/RPC/1130/2019&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 19TH DECEMBER, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>CHARLES KUSI,
ESQ., OF LEGAL ALLIANCE, TRADE FAIR, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<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" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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HALES SOLICITORS, OSU, ACCRA, COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP,
JUSTICE JENNIFER A. DADZIE<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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</div>By
the present application, the Defendant/Applicant (hereinafter, the “Applicant”)
seeks to strike out the Statement of Claim of the Plaintiff/Respondent (also hereafter
referred to as “Respondent”) as disclosing no reasonable cause of action, being
scandalous, frivolous and vexatious and for an order dismissing the action pursuant
to Order
11 Rule 18 of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004
(C.I 47) for reasons contained in the affidavit in support of the
application deposed to by one Gabriel Norteye, a member of staff of counsel for
the Applicant.<o:p></o:p>The procedural background to this case in
brief is as follows.&nbsp; On July 23, 2019,
the Respondent took out a Writ of Summons accompanied by a Statement of Claim
in which it avers that sometime in January 2018, at the request of the
Applicant, it agreed to allow the Applicant to lift petroleum products from
some Bulk Distribution Companies for sale to his customers upon the payment of
the appropriate customs duties and National Petroleum Authority (NPA) levies.&nbsp; Accordingly, and in pursuance of this
agreement, the Applicant went ahead and made several liftings of fuel products
from different Bulk Distribution Companies in the name of the Respondent
totaling 4,2666,000 volumes but it failed to pay the taxes in the amount of
GH¢5,460,000.00 to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the NPA levies in the
sum of GH¢1,455,840.00 as agreed.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>The
Respondent claims that it has, in addition to the foregoing sums which it had
to pay to the appropriate authorities, been penalised by the NPA with a fine of
GH¢790,000.00 and was even blacklisted for a period of three (3) months
resulting in it losing several millions of cedis.&nbsp; In all, the Respondent claims that it had to
pay the total sum of GH¢7,706,320.00 in consequence of the Applicant’s default,
which sum is a debt duly incurred by the Applicant who has since refused to
reimburse the Respondent in spite of repeated demands made on him so to do. &nbsp;For these reasons, it claimed the following
reliefs against the Applicant for, <o:p></o:p>“i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The
recovery of the total sum of GH¢7,706,320.00 including Customs’
duties and National Petroleum Authority’s levies which the Defendant failed to
pay in respect of fuel products which he lifted from some bulk distribution
companies in the name of the Plaintiff between 26th January 2018 and
7th February 2018 and which the Plaintiff was compelled to pay.<o:p></o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest
on the said sum at the current bank rate from 1st July, 2018 till
the date of final payment.”<o:p></o:p>The Applicant caused conditional appearance
to be entered on his behalf by counsel on August 20, 2019 and without filing a
Statement of Defence to the suit, proceeded to file the present
application.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>In
my view, the relevant grounds canvassed by the Applicant in support of the
application are contained in the following paragraphs of the affidavit in
support of the motion:<o:p></o:p>“7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I am informed by Counsel and verily
believe same to be true that this Action discloses no reasonable Cause of
action.<o:p></o:p>8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I am also informed by Counsel and
verily believe same to be true that this action is not only Scandalous it is
also vexatious and frivolous as no Honourable Court would give assistance to
any person seeking to enforce an agreement that purports to break the law.<o:p></o:p>