SELORM ADADEVOH vs. SCANCOM PLC [2020]DLHC9985

Date	2020-06-19
Suit No.	SUIT NUMBER: CM/MISC/0774/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLHC9985

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE CONSTANT K. HOMETOWU

MR. EDWARD B. DANKWA FOR THE APPLICANT

MR. SAMUEL M. CODJOE FOR THE RESPONDENT

[2020]DLHC9985
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION UNDER
THE COMPANIES ACT, 2019 (ACT 992)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION UNDER
SECTION 162 OF THE COMPANIES ACT, 2019 (ACT 992) BY SELORM ADADEVOH, A DIRECTOR
AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF SCANCOM PLC PRAYING FOR AN ORDER FOR THE
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF SCANCOM PLC TO BE CALLED, HELD AND CONDUCTED
VIRTUALLY<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;SELORM ADADEVOH<o:p></o:p>(APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SCANCOM PLC<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<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:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NUMBER: CM/MISC/0774/2020&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: 19th JUNE 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. EDWARD B. DANKWA FOR THE APPLICANT<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-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:150%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">MR. SAMUEL M. CODJOE FOR
THE RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE CONSTANT K. HOMETOWU<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="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;This is an application for
an order for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Respondent/company to be
called, held and conducted virtually, filed by the Applicant on 22 May 2020.<o:p></o:p>In an affidavit in support
of the motion, Applicant, who is a director and Chief Executive Officer of the
Respondent/company, averred that it has become impracticable for Respondent to
hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the manner it (the AGM) ought to be held
in accordance with law by reason of the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant
imposition of restrictions by government.<o:p></o:p>He deposed further that as
part of measures put in place by the Government of Ghana (GoG) to contain and
curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the GoG passed into law, the Imposition
of Restrictions Act, 2010 (Act 1012) and in consequence issued Executive
Instrument (E.I. 64), which, amongst others, suspended “all public gatherings
with the exception of private burials for which an exception of twenty-five
(25) persons has been made”.<o:p></o:p>It is his further
contention that by virtue of the suspension of all public gatherings, it has
become impracticable for Respondent to hold its AGM in the manner prescribed
and specified by law, since the meeting is, by the provisions of the Companies
Act, 2019 (Act 992), required to be a physical gathering of members at a
specified location in Ghana and at a specified time. The suspension of the
public gathering makes it impossible for the physical gathering of members at a
specified place as required by law.<o:p></o:p>He additionally deposed
that the last AGM was held on14 May 2019 and that the Respondent is, by law,
particularly section 157 of Act 992, required to hold an AGM each year, failing
which the directors of the Respondent will be liable for the payment of
penalties. <o:p></o:p>At paragraph 8 of the
affidavit in support, deponent further avers that “the Respondent is
statutorily bound by virtue of the provisions of Act 992 to hold an AGM this
year, which AGM cannot be called, held and conducted in the manner as specified
by law by reason of the prevailing conditions in the country. This is more so
when no exemption whatsoever is granted Respondent to dispense with the
requirement of holding an AGM this year”.<o:p></o:p>Further, he indicated his
firm belief that “the AGM of the Respondent can be held virtually, and same
would allow all shareholders of Respondent who wish to be present at the AGM to
attend and participate in the meeting virtually. This is more so when virtual
meetings have become the norm since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and
same allows participants to be present and participate in the meeting”.<o:p></o:p>In further support of his
application,</main>