LAWRENCE AGYEI AND MAAME ADWOA ASIAMAH vs. BERNARD OPOKU SAKYI [2021]DLSC11515

Date	2021-12-01
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/15/2021
Citation No.	[2021]DLSC11515

APPAU JSC (PRESIDING)

PWAMANG JSC

AMEGATCHER JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

PHILIP M. YOUNG ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/ RESPONDENTS.

JOHN MERCER ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/ APPELLANT.

[2021]DLSC11515
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >LAWRENCE AGYEI AND MAAME ADWOA ASIAMAH&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>BERNARD OPOKU
SAKYI<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT)<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/15/2021&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 1ST DECEMBER, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>PHILIP M. YOUNG ESQ. FOR
THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/<o:p></o:p>RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p>JOHN MERCER ESQ. 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;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>APPAU JSC
(PRESIDING), PWAMANG JSC, AMEGATCHER JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC, KULENDI 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 0cm;">

<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" align="center" style="margin:0cm;margin-bottom:
.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:center;line-height:normal;border:none;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;KULENDI JSC:-<o:p></o:p>INTRODUCTION:<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal against the concurrent judgment
of the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast dated 29th day of January, 2020by which judgment
the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the High Court invalidating a
purported Last Will and Testament of Fred Opoku Sakyi (deceased). The Appellant
invokes the jurisdiction of this Court pursuant to a Notice of Appeal filed on
1st April, 2020.<o:p></o:p>BACKGROUND:<o:p></o:p>The biblical aphorism of Ecclesiastes 9: 5, to wit
“the living know that they will die, but the dead know not anything...”
perhaps, sums up the reason why people make wills and the elaborate legal
processes put in place to regulate inheritance or succession.&nbsp; When one dies, one literally loses control or
grip of everything they owned, laboured for and saved to accumulate, be they
cars, houses, or bank accounts. The law allows a certain amount of postmortem
control where the dead’s hand rules from beyond the grave at least to a point
through a will. Squabbles over money, dead bodies and the estate of the
deceased are often settled in law courts. This case is one of such instances.
Whereas the Appellant contends that Fred Opoku Sakyi, the deceased, died having
made a will dated 23rd July, 2012, the Respondents contend that the
alleged will is fraudulent and a fabrication by the Appellant, who, together
with his maternal siblings are the primary beneficiaries of the said will. It
is further contended by the Respondents that the alleged fabricated will is
intended to disinherit the children of the deceased who are of different
mothers other than the Appellant.<o:p></o:p>By a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim dated
12thJune, 2014, the Respondents, commenced a probate action at the
Cape Coast High Court to contest a will allegedly made by the late Fred Opoku
Sakyi (deceased) and sought the following reliefs against the Appellant:<o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration
that the document entitled Last will and Testament of Fred Opoku Sakyi is not
the handiwork of the deceased.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order setting
aside the said will as having been procured by fraud.<o:p></o:p>c.