EDWARD KWASI SANTENG (NII OWORSHIKA) vs. DR. EDWARD ACQUAHPER & 3 OTHERS [2020]DLSC9918

Date	2020-11-25
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/36/2019
Citation No.	[2020]DLSC9918

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

HONYENUGA JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

Y. OPOKU-ADJAYE FOR THE DEFENDANTS/ CO-DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS

RAY APPIAH AMPONSAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLSC9918
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717">EDWARD
KWASI SANTENG (NII OWORSHIKA)</a> (PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>DR. EDWARD ACQUAHPER HIS
WIFE, AGENT, REPRESENTATIVE/LAWFUL ATTORNEY JOYCE ACQUAH (MRS.)<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(1ST DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT
APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>MRS.
JOYCE ACQUAH<o:p></o:p>(2ND DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>MERCY OFORWAA&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(3RD DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT) <o:p></o:p>S. O.&nbsp; DARKO&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(CO-DEFENDANT/RESPODENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></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. J4/36/2019&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;DATE:
25TH
NOVEMBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>Y. OPOKU-ADJAYE FOR THE DEFENDANTS/<o:p></o:p>CO-DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS.<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;">

RAY APPIAH AMPONSAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE, JSC (PRESIDING), PWAMANG, JSC,
TORKORNOO (MRS.), JSC, HONYENUGA, JSC, PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.), JSC<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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" 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>&nbsp;HONYENUGA,
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>Introduction<o:p></o:p>On the 25th
day of November, 2020, we delivered judgment in this appeal but deferred our
reasons, which we now give.&nbsp; We
unanimously dismissed the appeal and affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeal.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The parties
in this appeal would finally see the end of litigation for having been
litigating in the Courts of competent jurisdiction for about twenty years.&nbsp; This appeal is from the Judgment of the Court
of Appeal dated the 16th day of February, 2017.&nbsp; The appellants (that is the
defendants/co-defendant/respondents/appellants) were the defendants and
Co-defendant respectively in the High Court.&nbsp;
The Co-defendant/respondent/appellant was a counterclaimant in the trial
court and succeeded in his Counterclaim but lost on appeal at the Court of
Appeal when the respondent herein (that is the plaintiff/appellant/respondent)
appealed against the judgment of the trial High Court.&nbsp; In this appeal, the first, second and third
defendants/respondents/appellants together with the
co-defendant/respondent/appellant would be designated as the first, second and
third appellants and the co-defendant/appellant respectively.&nbsp; The plaintiff/appellant/respondent would be
referred to as the respondent.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>Background to the Appeal<o:p></o:p>The respondent’s
case is that on the 14th October 1999, the 1st appellant
agreed to sell his piece or parcel of land situate lying and being at Oyarifa –
Accra to him at an agreed purchase price of Forty-two Million old Cedis
(¢42million).&nbsp; The respondent averred
that it was agreed that, he paid a deposit of Four Million cedis (¢4million) at
the rate of ¢4,500 to the English Pound (£) as part-payment for the land and a
receipt dated 14th October 1999 was issued to him.&nbsp; The said amount was to be used by the first appellant
to prepare an Indenture to convey the land to him.&nbsp; The respondent further averred in his
statement of claim that the receipt issued to him is entitled “LAND SALE
RECEIPT”, which expressly stated that the first appellant had relinquished his
interest in the land and it states:-<o:p></o:p>“This is
to certify that I the undersigned Edward Acquah … of Post Office Box ….. in the
Greater Accra Region of the Republic of Ghana have received the sum of four
million cedis only (¢4,000,000.00) being PART payment of purchased money made
to cover a plot of land sold and delivered to Mr. Edward Kwasi Santeng of P. O.
Box 1397 Accra ….<o:p></o:p>This land
is situate lying and being at OYARIFA – Accra in the Greater Accra Region of
the Republic of Ghana being the BONAFIED property of the said Mr. Edward Acquah
and the same is free from all encumbrances whatsoever and as free from any
family on tribal claims as possible.<o:p></o:p>This land
is hereby entirely and delivered to the said Mr. Edward Kwasi Santeng of Accra
of his heirs, administrators or assigns forever for the said amount paid in
acknowledgment of which I hereby give this receipt.<o:p></o:p>