ESTATE OF THE LATE ROBERT HABIB HITTI (DECEASED) AND IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY GEORGE JAMIL MOUGANIE FOR THE GRANT OF PROBATE AND CAVEATRIX: MIREILLE HITTI [2021]DLCA11032

ESTATE OF THE LATE ROBERT HABIB HITTI (DECEASED) AND IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICA... [2021]DLCA11032

Date	2021-10-28
Suit No.	SUIT NO. H1/114/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLCA11032

SENYO DZAMEFE JA(PRESIDING)

P. BRIGHT MENSAH JA

NOVISI ARYENE JA

ERNESTINA OTU FOR CAVEATRIX/APPELLANTS

CLARANCE TAGOE FOR RESPONDENTS

[2021]DLCA11032
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF THE
LATE ROBERT HABIB HITTI (DECEASED)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY
GEORGE JAMIL MOUGANIE FOR THE GRANT OF PROBATE<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>CAVEATRIX:&nbsp; MIREILLE HITTI<o:p></o:p>(CAVEATRIX/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL
APPEAL), 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;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT
NO. H1/114/2021&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 28TH OCTOBER 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>ERNESTINA OTU FOR
CAVEATRIX/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: 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">CLARANCE
TAGOE FOR RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>SENYO DZAMEFE JA(PRESIDING), P. BRIGHT MENSAH JA,
NOVISI ARYENE JA <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;
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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>&nbsp;BRIGHT MENSAH JA:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;My Lords, this case which otherwise was a simple an
issue touching on, and concerning administration of an estate matter, has had a
chequered history.&nbsp; It all started when a
Robert Habib Hitti, a Labenese national and businessman but ordinarily resident
and doing business here in Ghana, died on or about the 25th day of
March 2001.&nbsp; The deceased was survived by
his spouse, Theresa Nahum Rouhana Hitti and three (3) children, namely: Alwan
Robert Hitti, Caroline Akl and Mireille Hitti (the appellant herein).&nbsp; On record, the surviving spouse together with
Alwan Robert Hitti jointly applied for Letters of Administration and were so
granted Letters of Administration by the High Court on 20/06/2001 to enable
them administer the estate of the deceased. <o:p></o:p>Pursuant to that, the administrators took steps to
vest the assets belonging to the deceased here in Ghana, in the beneficiaries.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>It is noted that some time later, that is to say,
on or about 13/11/1985 the surviving spouse, Theresa Nahum Rouhana Hitti also
died leaving her properties including those that came to her from her husband’s
estate, to the daughter, the caveatrix/appellant herein.&nbsp; However, about 17 years or so later, it
emerged that the deceased, Robert Habib Hitti left behind a Last Will and
Testament.&nbsp; Consequently, the surviving Executor
named in the said -Will, George Jamil Mougaine (respondent herein) in or about
December 2017 proceeded to apply for a Probate to the Will. &nbsp;&nbsp;The
appellant herein then caused her solicitors to file a caveat.&nbsp; Upon being served with a copy of the caveat,
filed a warning and caused same to be served on the solicitors for the
appellant.&nbsp; Subsequently, the appellant
filed her Affidavit of Interest.<o:p></o:p>Further to filing her Affidavit of Interest, the
caveatrix/appellant on 12/06/2018 caused her lawyers to file a motion on notice
to strike out the applicant/respondent’s application for Probate.&nbsp; It does appear that while the application for
Probate was still pending for determination, the applicant/ respondent issued a
writ to set aside the Letters of Administration earlier granted to the
surviving spouse and a son of the deceased which the High Court (differently
constituted) granted.<o:p></o:p>So aggrieved with the turn of events, the
caveatrix/appellant through her lawyers filed an application for an Order of
Certiorari in the Supreme Court to quash the judgment of the High Court that
revoked the grant of the earlier Letters of Administration.&nbsp; The application in the Supreme Court however
failed.&nbsp; The apex court delivered its
judgment on the matter on 17/01/2019 and dismissed the application.&nbsp; Still dissatisfied, the caveatrix/appellant
herein filed a fresh suit in the High Court in suit no. GF801/19 entitled: Mireille
Hitti v George Jamil Mougaine, Caroline Akl, Alwan Robert Hitti and the Registrar of Companies, seeking the
following judicial reliefs:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order setting
aside the judgment of the High Court dated 5th<o:p></o:p>June
2018 revoking Letters of Administration granted on 20th<o:p></o:p>June
2001 in respect of the estate of Robert Habib Hitti;<o:p></o:p>