APRO GHANA LTD. vs. MICHAEL ASANTE AKUFFO, CALISTER N. AKUFFO AND AKUFFO K. ASANTE AND GENEVIEVE A. AWARE AND 4 ORS [2020]DLSC9327

APRO GHANA LTD. vs. MICHAEL ASANTE AKUFFO, CALISTER N. AKUFFO AND AKUFFO K. ASA... [2020]DLSC9327

Date	2020-07-22
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/60/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9327

GBADEGBE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

KOTEY JSC LOVELACE-JOHNSON JSC

WILLIAM OSEI KUFFOUR FOR THE PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT

KORSAH BROWN FOR THE CLAIMANTS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLSC9327
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >APRO GHANA LTD.<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MICHAEL ASANTE AKUFFO, CALISTER N. AKUFFO AND AKUFFO K. ASANTE&nbsp; (DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>GENEVIEVE A. AWARE AND 4 ORS<o:p></o:p><a name="_Hlk41141431">(CLAIMANTS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS)</a><o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/60/2019&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; DATE: 22ND JULY, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>WILLIAM OSEI KUFFOUR FOR
THE PETITIONER/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">KORSAH BROWN FOR THE CLAIMANTS/APPELLANTS/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>GBADEGBE JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, DORDZIE
(MRS.) JSC, KOTEY JSC LOVELACE-JOHNSON JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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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><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>AVRIL
LOVELACE-JOHNSON:-<o:p></o:p>The designation of the
parties in the High Court will be maintained in this appeal. <o:p></o:p>At the hearing of this
appeal both counsel were directed to address this court on whether the high
court had jurisdiction to make the order granting extension of time to the
claimants on 29th July 2016 to file an appeal against the judgment
and ruling of the high court dated 30th October 2015 and 7th
April 2016 respectively.<o:p></o:p>This directive was made
pursuant to Rule 6 sub rules 7(b) and 8 of the Supreme Court Rules 1996, C. I.
16 which provide as follows:<o:p></o:p>(7) Notwithstanding sub
rules (1) to (6) of this rule the Court-<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ………<o:p></o:p>(b) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shall not, in deciding the appeal,
confine itself to the grounds set forth by the appellant or be precluded from
resting its decision on a ground not set forth by the appellant.<o:p></o:p>(8)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Where the Court intends to rest a
decision on a ground not set forth by the appellant in his notice of appeal or
on any matter not argued before it, the Court shall afford the parties
reasonable opportunity to be heard on the ground or matter without reopening
the whole appeal.<o:p></o:p>Both counsel did so and counsel
for the claimants further addressed us on whether the judgment arising out of
the interpleader proceedings was final or interlocutory.<o:p></o:p>The background of this
matter is undisputed and in sum is as follows: The plaintiffs sued the
defendants for an amount owed them. The matter was submitted for mediation at
the end of which process a judgment based on a “Memorandum of agreement”
reached between the parties was entered against the defendant by the High
court, Commercial Division, Kumasi. <o:p></o:p>