THE REG.TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBY CHURCH vs. NANA OTENG KORANKYE & ANOR [2019]DLHC9004

Date	2019-04-08
Suit No.	SUIT NO. FAL 592/15
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC9004

HIS LORDSHIP EMMANUEL AMO YARTEY (J)

SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR PLAINTIFF

ALHAJI FAROUCK SEIDU FOR DEFENDANTS

[2019]DLHC9004
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THE REG.TRUSTEES OF THE PRESBY CHURCH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NANA OTENG KORANKYE &amp; ANOR<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT (LAND COURT 7), 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. FAL 592/15&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 8TH
APRIL, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR PLAINTIFF
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ALHAJI
FAROUCK SEIDU FOR DEFENDANTS <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<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-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:0cm;
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115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">HIS
LORDSHIP EMMANUEL AMO YARTEY (J)<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
case of the Plaintiffs as captured by their Amended Statement of claim dated
the 7th day of November, 2018 is that the Plaintiff is a body
corporate with perpetual succession constituted by the Trustees of the
Presbyterian&nbsp; Church of Ghana, a highly reputable
religious organization and registered under the laws of the Republic of Ghana.<o:p></o:p>The 1st
Defendant is the chief of Berekuso near Abokobi.<o:p></o:p>The 2nd
Defendant has at all material times held himself out as a servant of the 1st
Defendant.<o:p></o:p>That
the Presbyterian Church of Ghana whose properties are held in trust by the
Plaintiff is the owner in possession of the parcel of land described in the
schedule hereto.<o:p></o:p>It is
the case of the Plaintiff that in or about 1873, the Basel Mission in the Gold
Coast acting per its Treasurer Christian Buhl acquired a parcel of land situate
near the village of Abokobi from one James Opinta (or Opintan) from Abokobi.<o:p></o:p>And
that Opintan, according to the Jackson Report on Tema, Mamfe, Teshie, Labadi
and Akwapim State Boundary Enquiry, had been given a parcel of land situate
between Abokobi and Sesemi by Nana Mfamho of Berekuso, where he lived there
with his children.<o:p></o:p>That
it was that land which the Basel Missionaries acquired in or about 1873.<o:p></o:p>It is
also the case of the Plaintiff that on 15th December 1921, the
District Commissioner for Accra in a letter to the Honourable Secretary for
Native Affairs, confirmed that the German Missionaries resident in Christiansburg
had purchased a portion of land from James Opintan, a Ga man and that the
transaction was reduced into writing to which was annexed a plan of the land.<o:p></o:p>According
to the Plaintiff by virtue of the Basel Mission Ordinance of 1918, the Trustees
of the Basel Mission Society transferred the land, along with other properties,
to the Scottish Mission of United Free Church Offices, 121 George Street, Edinburgh,
Scotland and Gold Coast Colony.<o:p></o:p>And
that the lands owned by or in possession of the Scottish Mission, including the
land the subject matter of this suit, were restored to and reverted in the
Basel Mission by virtue of the Basel Mission Society (Restoration of Property)
Ordinance 1932 of the Gold Coast Colony. <o:p></o:p>That
the Plaintiff Church was established under the auspices of the Basel and
Scottish Missions.<o:p></o:p>Continuing
the Plaintiff stated that under the powers conferred by the land (Perpetual
Succession) Ordinance of 1932 the Governor of the Gold Coast granted trustees
appointed by the Church a Certificate of Registration.<o:p></o:p>And
that upon the attainment of independence by the Gold Coast, the Church came to
be known as Presbyterian Church of Ghana. <o:p></o:p>