FINGER MINING LIMITED AND 4 OTHERS vs. CECILIA MENSAH-BROWN AND 5 OTHERS [2020]DLCA9203

Date	2020-07-30
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/49/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA9203

ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA. (PRESIDING)

A. B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA.

SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.

A. A. SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS

JOSEPH BOAKYE DANKWA WITH VICTOR KYEI FOR THE 3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLCA9203
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >FINGER MINING LIMITED AND
4 OTHERS<span style="font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
color:#00B0F0"><o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CECILIA MENSAH-BROWN AND 5 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;">[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>A. A. SOMUAH ASAMOAH FOR THE
PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

JOSEPH BOAKYE DANKWA WITH VICTOR KYEI
FOR THE 3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) JA.
(PRESIDING), A. B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG JA., SAMUEL K.A. ASIEDU JA.<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 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="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:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ASIEDU, JA.<o:p></o:p>My
Lords, we have been called upon in this appeal filed on the 29th
December 2017, to decide on the propriety of a ruling given by the learned
trial High Court Judge in this matter on the 8th December 2017, in
which the learned Judge struck out from the writ of summons and statement of
claim, the name of the 3rd defendant/respondent herein as not having
been properly joined to the instant suit.<o:p></o:p>The
facts of the case are that, the plaintiffs are all Limited Liability Mining
Companies who claim to own mineral concession licences on parcels of land
situate in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region of the Republic of
Ghana. The plaintiffs/appellants who, in this appeal, will be referred to
simply as the plaintiffs have averred in paragraph 6 of their amended statement
of claim filed on the 27th February 2015, that “their respective
concessions are contiguous and share a common boundary with each other and all
their concessions are at a common area.” The plaintiffs claim that all the
defendants have committed trespass onto their concessions by entering upon the
land in question and, without the consent of the plaintiffs, conducted illegal
mining operations on the land. <o:p></o:p>Against
the 3rd defendant/respondent, who will, in this appeal, be referred
to simply as the 3rd defendant, the plaintiffs averred in paragraphs
9, 12, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27 and 28 of their amended statement of claim that: <o:p></o:p>“9. The 3rd Defendant, popularly known as “Wontumi” is a
businessman residing in Kumasi and engages in illegal mining activities
popularly referred to as “Galamsey” operations on the Plaintiffs’ concession.<o:p></o:p>12. The 6th Defendant is a company incorporated under the
laws of Ghana by the 3rd and 4th Defendants and by which the 3rd and 4th
Defendants purports to have employed hundreds of illegal Chinese and Ghanaian
“Galamsey” miners for mining operations in the Central, Western and Ashanti
Regions of Ghana.<o:p></o:p>21. The Plaintiffs aver that when they subsequently visited
their concessions, they realized that Galamsey miners, most of whom were
Chinese nationals, under the direction of the Defendants and without the
consent of the Plaintiffs, had illegally entered the Plaintiffs’ concessions
aforementioned and conducted illegal mining operations thereon.<o:p></o:p>22. The Plaintiffs say that the said acts amounted to
trespass by the Defendants and the trespass is continuing.<o:p></o:p>23. The Plaintiffs say that gold minerals illegally
extracted from their concessions in issue were carried away from the
sites/concessions by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Defendants under the guise of
belonging to the 4th Defendant Company. (sic)<o:p></o:p>24. The Plaintiffs say by reason of the said trespass, the
Defendants have illegally mined and appropriated from the Plaintiffs’ aforesaid
concessions a total of 5,185.26854 TROY OUNCES OF GOLD valued at SEVEN MILLION,
THREE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-NINE THOUSAND AND SEVEN UNITED STATES DOLLARS,
SIXTY-SEVEN CENTS (US$7,389,007.67).<o:p></o:p>27. The Plaintiffs say that the Defendants would not stop
their illegal trespass and occupation of the Plaintiffs’ concessions, and their
conversion of the Plaintiffs’ gold, unless restrained by this Honourable Court.<o:p></o:p>