EMMANUEL KWADWO – AGYEKUM vs. BENJAMIN KOFI AYEH [2020]DLHC10527

Date	2020-11-11
Suit No.	SUIT NO:GJ/1759/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC10527

HER LADYSHIP OLIVIA OBENG OWUSU (MRS.) J.

PRINCE OPPONG ESQ. WITH RAYMOND DORNYOH EQS.

H/B FOR KWESI FYNN ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF PRESENT

[2020]DLHC10527
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMMANUEL KWADWO – AGYEKUM<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN KOFI AYEH<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<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;">

SUIT NO:GJ/1759/2019&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;DATE: 11TH NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>PRINCE OPPONG ESQ., WITH RAYMOND
DORNYOH EQS., <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" style="margin-left:144.0pt;text-align:justify;text-justify:
inter-ideograph;text-indent:-144.0pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">H/B FOR KWESI FYNN ESQ., FOR PLAINTIFF
PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER
LADYSHIP OLIVIA OBENG OWUSU, (MRS.) J.<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="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:150%;
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><span style="font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">The Plaintiff’s
claim against the Defendant is for;<o:p></o:p>“(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order for recovery of the amount of
Three &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hundred and Thirty
Thousand Cedis &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (GHC 330,000.00) being the total amount
advanced &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; by the Plaintiff to
the Defendant in September, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2016.<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest on the said amount from 1st
of October, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 2016 until the date of
final payment at the &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; prevailing
commercial bank lending rate of 32% &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; per
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; annum.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(c)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Plaintiff’s costs, expenses and legal fees
of the &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; proceedings of 18% of the
total sum recoverable &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; from &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; the Defendant”.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;The Defendant
entered appearance on the 23rd of July, 2020 but failed to file a Defence.
Consequently, <span style="font-family: &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, serif; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">the Plaintiff
filed a Motion on Notice for an Order to enter final judgment against the Defendant.
<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In a nutshell
the Plaintiff’s case is as follows: The Defendant sought financial assistance
from him to enable him finance an investment project he claimed he was
undertaking in Ayanmfuri near Dunkwa.&nbsp;&nbsp;
He considered the Defendant’s request and on two occasions in September,
2016 gave him sums totaling Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand Cedis. The Defendant
assured him that he was using the money to acquire concessions and equipment
for an investment and promised to commence repayment within two weeks. The Defendant
however failed to make the payment. After over a month of non-payment he made
demands for his money from the Defendant. Instead of paying back the money the Defendant
invited him over to Ayamfuri and then showed certain parcels of lands to him as
land to be used for the investment. The Defendant however failed to produce any
documentation to support the investment claims and so he became alarmed and
decided to conduct investigations to verify the Defendant’s claims. His
subsequent independent enquiries within the locality proved that the Defendant’s
investment claims were untrue and that the Defendant had not acquired the said
parcels of land that he showed to him.&nbsp;
According to the Plaintiff all efforts to recover the monies advanced to
the Defendant in September, 2016 have proved futile as the defendant has
ignored all calls on him to pay back the monies.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Under Order 13 rule 1 of C.I. 47 where the Plaintiff’s claim against a Defendant
is for a liquidated demand only as in the present case and the Defendant defaults
in filing a Statement of Defence the Plaintiff may after expiration of the
period fixed by the rules for filing a Defence apply to enter final judgment
against the Defendant for a sum not exceeding that claim by the writ and for
costs and proceed with the action against other Defendant’s if any.&nbsp; Default in filing a defence therefore
relieves the Plaintiff of the burden to prove any liquidated demand endorsed on
the Writ of Summons and enables the Plaintiff to apply for final judgment.