OPANIN OSEI KWAME vs. KWADWO DWEMOH [2021]DLCA10782

Date	2021-05-27
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/31/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA10782

ANGELINA M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J A (PRESIDING)

ALEX B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG J A

SAMUEL K. A. ASIEDU J A

ASIEDU BASOAH WITH ANDREW ACQUAYE FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT.

YVONNE WUSSAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2021]DLCA10782
																																						<div class="restriction-wrapper">
														<div class="container-lg">
															<div class="row">
																<div class="col-md-12 restricted-content">
																	<div class="restricted-content-img-wrapper">
																		<div class="lock-icon bounce-7">
																			<img class=""
																				src="https://www.dennislawgh.com/dl-assets/dl-images/lock-content.png"
																				alt="Subscription based content">
																		</div>
																	</div>
																	 
																		<a href="https://www.dennislawgh.com/login"
																		class="btn btn-primary btn-lg"
																		style="font-family: 'open sans'; text-transform: capitalize; border-radius: 8px"> 
																		Login to Read Full Case </a>
																	 
																	
																</div>
															</div>
														</div>
													</div>
													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >OPANIN OSEI KWAME<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KWADWO DWEMOH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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">CIVIL
APPEAL NO.: H1/31/2021&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: 27TH MAY, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ASIEDU BASOAH
WITH ANDREW ACQUAYE FOR THE DEFENDANT/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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

YVONNE WUSSAH FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>ANGELINA
M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS.) J A (PRESIDING), ALEX B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG J A, SAMUEL K.
A. ASIEDU J A<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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;DOMAKYAAREH
(MRS.), JA:<o:p></o:p>[1]
This is an interlocutory appeal against
the Ruling of the High Court, Kumasi, dated 5th March, 2018. We note
that as per the Writ of Summons at page 1 of the Record of Appeal, the Statement
of Claim at page 3 of the Record of Appeal, the Amended Statement of Defence &nbsp;and Counterclaim at page 78 of the Record of Appeal
and the Notice of Interlocutory Appeal at page 138 of the Record of Appeal, the
Defendant therein is one OPANIN OSEI
AKWASI later substituted by BADU
DANKWAH also known as James Danquah
of JENSUKUMAH MPASAASO. Indeed, throughout the trial, the Defendant was always
the said OPANIN OSEI AKWASI. Somehow,
from the cover page of the Record of Appeal and the Headings of the respective
Written Submissions filed on behalf of the Defendant/Appellant and the Plaintiff/Respondent
the original Defendant /Appellant has changed to OPANIN OSEI KWAME.&nbsp; We want
to believe that this new Defendant/Appellant is a mistake and we therefore
admonish counsel to be meticulous during the settlement of Records of Appeal. <o:p></o:p>[2]
The genesis of the suit is that, the
Plaintiff/Respondent herein instituted an action on 13/11/08 against the
Defendant/Appellant seeking the following reliefs: -<o:p></o:p>(a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DECLARATION that cocoa farm cum secondary
forest situated at Mpasaaso at a place commonly known and called “JAMES KUMA”
bounded by the properties of Opanin Huhuamoah, Opanin Yaw Ansah, teacher
Boateng, nana Bannor and River James Kuma<o:p></o:p>(b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order of Perpetual Injunction restraining
the defendant and his agents, servants/workmen, assigns and all those claiming
title through defendant from in any way purporting to alienate or dispose of
the said property pending the hearing of this matter.<o:p></o:p>[3] The
parties are all members of the same family. The Plaintiff/Respondent sued for
himself and on behalf of his family as the Customary Successor of the family
members who have passed away, namely, Osei Kojo, Akwasi Nkrumah and Kojo
Addison. These deceased family members were Customary Successors from one to
the other respectively with the Plaintiff/Respondent herein being the Customary
Successor of Kojo Addison. <o:p></o:p>[4] The
basis of the claims of the Plaintiff/Respondent as per the Writ of Summons and
Statement of Claim, is that the disputed property was originally acquired and
cultivated by Osei Kojo. When he died, Akwasi Nkrumah succeeded him. Akwasi
Nkrumah was succeeded by Kojo Addison and upon the death of Kojo Addison the
Plaintiff/ Respondent herein succeeded him and the disputed farm was always inherited
by the said members of the family.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff/Respondent averred that
during the successorship of Kojo Addison, he appointed the Defendant/Appellant
herein to overlook the disputed farm as a caretaker. The Plaintiff/Respondent
herein and other members of the family later heard that a son of the
Defendant/Appellant, named Kwabena Danquah was bragging that the dispute</main>