KOFI TSU ASEM (DECEASED) AND DOGBATSE (SUBTITUTED BY SYLVANUS ASEM) vs. TOGBE AHOTOR MAKAKU (DECEASED) (SUBSTITUED BY HIOB AHOTOR) AND W. N. KPORKU (DECEASED) [2022]DLSC11721

KOFI TSU ASEM (DECEASED) AND DOGBATSE (SUBTITUTED BY SYLVANUS ASEM) vs. TOGBE A... [2022]DLSC11721

Date	2022-05-25
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/48/2020
Citation No.	[2022]DLSC11721

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING)

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

PROF. KOTEY JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

ELLIS KWAME QUASHIGA ESQ. WITH HIM RICHMOND KWEKU KYEI ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.

ERNEST DELA AKATEY ESQ. FOR THE PAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/ RESPONDENT/RESPONDENTS.

[2022]DLSC11721
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >KOFI TSU ASEM (DECEASED) AND
DOGBATSE<o:p></o:p>(SUBTITUTED BY SYLVANUS ASEM)<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS/ APPELLANTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>TOGBE AHOTOR MAKAKU (DECEASED)<o:p></o:p>(SUBSTITUED BY HIOB AHOTOR)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>W. N. KPORKU (DECEASED)<o:p></o:p>(SUBSTITUTED BY ISRAEL KPORKU)<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/APPELLANTS/ RESPONDENTS/RESPONDENTS)<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="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="margin-bottom: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. J4/48/2020&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;DATE: 25TH MAY, 2022<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p>ELLIS KWAME
QUASHIGA ESQ. WITH HIM RICHMOND KWEKU KYEI ESQ. FOR THE
DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>ERNEST DELA AKATEY ESQ. FOR THE
PAINTIFFS/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:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RESPONDENT/RESPONDENTS.<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<o:p></o:p>BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC
(PRESIDING), DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC, PROF. KOTEY JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) 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 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;PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) (JSC):-<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from a judgment of the Court of
Appeal sitting at Ho, delivered on 3rd October 2018. The case arose
over a failed effort at dispute resolution in respect of land situate at Kpetoe
in the Volta Region of Ghana, between two families.<o:p></o:p>Background
and Facts<o:p></o:p>The plaintiffs/appellants/respondents (simply
referred to herein as ‘plaintiffs’) are the head and principal members of the
Bedze-Agbedrafor clan, and they claimed that they owned land at Kpetoe,
commonly known as Kangakpo. The boundaries of the land supplied by them were
the following: On one side, the land was bounded by the Ho-Denu road, on another
side by River Kpetoe, on a third side by the Matti Gboya and Dappah families of
Kpetoe and on the last side by plaintiff’s own land. The 1st defendant/respondent
appellant (simply defendant) described the same land as Gbedegugu and denied
that the plaintiffs were the owners. The 1stdefendants sold parts of
the land to the 2nddefendant, who had commenced building operations
thereon. The plaintiffs therefore took action against the defendants in the Circuit
Court Ho, seeking damages for trespass and perpetual injunction restraining the
2nd defendants from continuing his building operations, either by
himself, his principal workmen, servants, labourers etc. pending the final
determination of the suit.<o:p></o:p>During the trial at the Circuit Court, the
plaintiffs had tendered judgments pertaining to the same lands in two previous
cases in 1951 and 1963 respectively. Both cases had been won by the plaintiffs’
family. They also put in evidence an arbitration that was held between the same
parties in 1995. The evidence showed that the two parties had gone to
arbitration before Togbi Gagli III Chief of Kpetoe-Agoe. On 23rdAugust
1999, the chief testified at the Circuit Court that upon a complaint by the
plaintiff family, the 1stdefendant was approached and that he agreed
to appear before a panel constituted by him, for arbitration. He testified
further that the 1stdefendant paid 2 bottles of gin as demanded by
custom.<o:p></o:p>The matter was gone into by a panel constituted by
Togbi Gagli for the purpose. Each party gave evidence and was cross-examined by
the other party. The panel itself also examined the parties. The panel even
visited the land in dispute. In total, the parties paid the fees demanded by
Togbi Gagli and the panel: two bottles of gin, a goat and GH¢50,000.00 each.
The process took three months and on 14th June 1995, the panel made
an award in favour of the plaintiffs. The 1stdefendant expressed
displeasure, somewhat violently, at the award made.<o:p></o:p>Following this arbitration, the dispute continued
to rage and so the plaintiff took action in</main>