AGYA BOAKYE ATONSAH PREMPEH vs. ERIC OFEI-KWAPONG [2020]DLSC9897

Date	2020-10-21
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/02/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9897

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

APPAU JSC

PWAMANG JSC

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

KOTEY JSC

YAW OPOKU-ADJAYE FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

FRANK NARTEY FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLSC9897
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717">AGYA
BOAKYE ATONSAH PREMPEH&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></a>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ERIC
OFEI-KWAPONG&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[SUPREME 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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/02/2020&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 21ST OCTOBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>YAW OPOKU-ADJAYE FOR
THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

FRANK NARTEY FOR THE
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE, JSC
(PRESIDING), APPAU, JSC, PWAMANG, JSC , DORDZIE (MRS.), JSC, KOTEY, JSC<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
150%;tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>PWAMANG, JSC:-<o:p></o:p>My Lords, in this appeal the parties are disputing
over the ownership of a piece of land at East Legon, Accra, with each party
claiming through disputing original owner families both of which hail from
Teshie. The plaintiff claims the land through Ashong Militse Family of
Odaiteitsewe whereas the defendant derives his title from the &nbsp;Osae Family of Otinshie. The plaintiff in
addition makes a case based on possession. The trial High Court held that on
the evidence, the land in dispute falls within the land of Osae Family and
therefore decided in favour of the defendant. The Court of Appeal upon review
of the evidence affirmed the judgment of the High Court. We are therefore here
dealing with a case of concurrent findings which on the authorities we have to
be slow in reversing. See Achoro v
Akanfela [1996-97] SCGLR 209, ASIBEY V GBOMITTAH &amp; COMMANDER OSEI [2012] 2
SCGLR 800 and ACQUIE V. TIJANI [2012] SCGLR 1252. However, the case being
pressed on us by the plaintiff in this second and final appeal is that the view
of the evidence taken by the High Court and affirmed by the Court of Appeal is
not supported by the record. He prays us to set aside the concurrent findings
and has referred to us the case of Koglex
Ltd v Field (No.2) [2000] SCGLR 175. <o:p></o:p>My Lord, in
the case of Gregory v Tandoh [2010]
SCGLR 971, the Supreme Court speaking through Dotse, JSC laid down the
grounds on which the court would depart from concurrent findings in the
following passage at page 986 of Report;<o:p></o:p>“…….a second appellate court, like this Supreme
Court can and is entitled to depart from findings of fact made by the trial
court and concurred in by the first appellate court under the following
circumstances:<o:p></o:p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Where from the
record the findings of fact by the trial court are&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; clearly not supported
by evidence on record and the reasons in&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; support of the findings
are unsatisfactory. <o:p></o:p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Where the findings
of fact by the trial court can be seen from&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; the record to be
either perverse or inconsistent with the totality&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; of evidence led by the
witnesses and the surrounding&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;circumstances of the entire evidence
on record.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Where the
findings of fact made by the trial court are&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</main>