MRS. SALOME FRANCOIS vs. LOGISTICS PARTNERS LTD & ORS [2020]DLHC10460

Date	2020-02-17
Suit No.	SUIT NO.: GJ/0961/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC10460

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE ELLEN VIVIAN AMOAH

[2020]DLHC10460
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MRS. SALOME FRANCOIS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>LOGISTICS PARTNERS LTD &amp; ORS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT
NO.: GJ/0961/2019 &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:
17th
FEBRUARY, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE ELLEN VIVIAN AMOAH<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;
tab-stops:4.5pt;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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;This
case commenced when the Defendant refused to pay arrears of rent in the total
quantum of 110,037,.60 USD&nbsp; . <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The
Plaintiff issued a writ on the 15th March 2019. An application
pursuant to Order 14 of CI 47 found
favour with the court on the 27th
September 2019. The Defendant has been served with Entry of Judgment filed
on 20th &nbsp;November 2019 .<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;This
&nbsp;is an application for the release of the
passport of the 3rd defendant Alex Tadaase an Italian national &nbsp;which on the orders of this court has been
deposited with the registry of this court. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The
Plaintiff through her counsel filed an affidavit in opposition on the
13/12/2019&nbsp; which essentially requests &nbsp;an increasing in the conditions of the bail
citing the cedi equivalent of the sum due and owing to the Plaintiff&nbsp; as GH¢805,641.64 and stating that the bail
sum of 200,000 cedis will not suffice in the light of the 3rd
Respondents present application. <o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff prays that the increment of the bail sum should also go with an order
for 2 sureties to be justified.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The applicant&nbsp;
states that they were amenable to the variation of the quantum for bail &nbsp;having regards to the earlier condition which
was GH¢200,000 if with the court was minded to vary the amount to the
GH¢805,641.64 as suggested by Plaintiff.<span style="font-size:12.0pt;
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:Aharoni"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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:Aharoni">&nbsp;In
the appeal case of UGBABE V FEDERAL
REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA (CA/L/200/2016) [2016 NGSC.82], TIJANI ABUBAKAR; JA
stated that <o:p></o:p>“The essence of the bail is
to secure the attendance of the accused person in court to take his trial. It
is only when there are cogent and convincing reasons suggesting that an accused
person will abscond during trial or there is strong likelihood of his
committing more offences that bail is denied”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“Justice
to be dispensed is justice within the law and not one of sympathy.&nbsp; Judicial sympathy however plausible can never
be elevated to become a principle of law”<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In
the Kenyan case of&nbsp; Maxwell Mancoba
Dlamini and Another V Rex Criminal Appeal case No. 46/2014, His Lordship M.C.B.
Maphalala A.C.J&nbsp;as he then was, observed in paragraph 5
that -<o:p></o:p>“Where
the court makes specific findings refusing bail, it is not open to the same
court in a subsequent bail application to review its own decision under the
guise of new circumstances.&nbsp;&nbsp; The court becomes functus officio and
the matter should be taken up on appeal.&nbsp; It is only the appeal court
which can deal with the specific findings of the court a quo.&nbsp; On the
other hand, it is open to the court of first instance to vary its own decision
with regard to bail condition where bail was granted.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;The duty of the court is to balance the interests
of both parties. What can compel the 3rd Defendant to return to
Ghana and pay the Plaintiff? Is there an extradition treaty effective between
Ghana and Italy? What assurance is there that the Plaintiff will be paid?<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;On the whole it is only just that the bail
condition of the 3rd Defendant be varied