BERLINDA ABA NYARKO vs. YAW OPPONG ALSO KNOWN AS C.K. [2020]DLHC9166

Date	2020-03-10
Suit No.	SUIT NO. OCC/112/2018
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC9166

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE

ALBERT GYAMFI FOR MARIAM JAWHARRY COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFF

[2020]DLHC9166
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BERLINDA ABA NYARKO<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>YAW OPPONG ALSO KNOWN AS C.K.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL DIVISION), 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">

SUIT
NO. OCC/112/2018&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:
10TH MARCH, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ALBERT
GYAMFI FOR MARIAM JAWHARRY, COUNSEL FOR THE PLAINTIFF<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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HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE DR. RICHMOND OSEI-HWERE, HIGH COURT JUDGE<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>On
the 21st of June, 2018 the Plaintiff instituted an action against
the Defendant. By her writ of summons, the plaintiff sought the following
reliefs:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An
order compelling the Defendant to pay to the Plaintiff Sixty-Four Thousand,
Five Hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢ 64,500.00) as the price of 71 bales of used
clothing sold to the Defendant by the Plaintiff.<o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest
at the current commercial bank lending rate from January 2018 till date of the
final payment.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Costs.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Any other relief that the court may deem
fit.<o:p></o:p>Appearance
was entered on behalf of the Defendant by his solicitor on the 24th
of July 2018 and he later filed a statement of defense.<o:p></o:p>The
Defendant denied liability to the plaintiff’s claim on the basis that the
Plaintiff at no material time supplied him with any quantity of used clothes
but she only sought his assistance to introduce her to customers in La Cote
D’Ivoire which he did.<o:p></o:p>After
unsuccessful attempts at settlement, the following issues were set down for
trial namely:<o:p></o:p>1.
Whether or not the Defendant purchased the used clothing from the Plaintiff?<o:p></o:p>2.
Whether or not the Plaintiff is entitled to her claim?<o:p></o:p>It
is observed that per the Court’s records, the Defendant was duly served with
hearing notices to attend court for the trial to commence but he failed to show
up. This is evidenced by some of the affidavits of service sworn on 5/11/2019
and 20/01/2020.<o:p></o:p>The
defendant also failed to comply with the orders of the court to file his
witness statement. The court consequently invoked Order 32 rule 7A of the High
Court (Civil Procedure) (Amendment) Rules, 2014, CI 87 and struck out the
defence of the defendant.<o:p></o:p>With
the continuous absence of the Defendant, the court had no option than to
proceed with the case under order 36 rule 1(2)(a) of the High Court (Civil
Procedure) Rules 2004, CI 47. It states:<o:p></o:p>Rule 1(2) where an action is
called for trial and a party fails to attend, the trial judge may;<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Where the plaintiff attends and the defendant fails to
attend, dismiss the counterclaim, if any, and allow the plaintiff to prove the
claim.<o:p></o:p>On
the basis of the rule, the plaintiff was allowed to prove her claim on the 20th
of December, 2019.The Plaintiff relied on her witness statement filed on 14th
October, 2019.<o:p></o:p>The
Plaintiff testified that she was engaged in retail of second hand clothing. She
testified that the Defendant was her major customer, as she bought most of his
goods. According to the Plaintiff, the Defendant in December 2017 showed
interest in goods which were supposed to be delivered to her. The Defendant
promised to pay for the goods through one “Alhaji”.&nbsp; When the goods arrived, she demanded for payment
of the same but the D</main>