S.E.C MINERALS LIMITED vs PRADEEP ATHYARATH RAMAN [2023]DLHC16708

Date	2023-11-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0059/2024
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC16708

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS OBIRI

JOSEPH OPOKU BOATENG

[2023]DLHC16708
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">S.E.C MINERALS LIMITED<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">PRADEEP ATHYARATH RAMAN<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">&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; <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: black; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0059/2024&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: 6TH NOVEMBER 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">CORAM<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS
OBIRI<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;I have listened to the submission for the grant of the application for an
arrest of an absconding Defendant. I have also through the documents filed in
this application. <o:p></o:p>The application is predicate on the Plaintiff/Applicant (hereinafter
called the Applicant) Writ of Summons filed 30th October, 2023. The
present application was filed on 3rd November, 2023. <o:p></o:p>The Applicant pleaded in paragraph 5 of its statement of claim, that its
internal auditors discovered, that the Defendant has misappropriated the sum of
USD 650,000.00 being part of funds given to the Defendant for the Applicant’s
gold trading activities and export from Ghana. <o:p></o:p>The Applicant allegation of misappropriation of funds belonging to it by
the Defendant is also stated in paragraph 9 of the affidavit in support of this
application. <o:p></o:p>The Applicant did not attach a copy of the internal auditors’ report to
this application. This would have convinced the court that at least prima facie,
the Applicant’s application has substance or could be true. <o:p></o:p>If the Applicant allegation of embezzlement or misappropriation of funds
by the Defendant is true, then the Defendant can even be arrested by the Police
and charged with stealing, contrary to section 124 of Act 29 or fraudulent
breach of trust contrary to section 128 of Act 29. And both offences carry maximum
sentence of 25 years in hard labour (IHL) under Section 296 (5) of Act 30. <o:p></o:p>The courts have held, that because an execution of an absconding warrant
and an order to provide security for appearance by Defendant can violate his
constitutional rights to freedom of movement, privacy etc. under Articles 14
and 18 of the 1992 constitution, the courts should hasten slowly in granting
such applications. <o:p></o:p>&nbsp;See: THE REPUBLIC
v. THE HIGH COURT; KOFORIDUA; EX PARTE AUGUSTUS OSAE AKONNOR (SAMUEL AGYEI –
INTERESTED PARTY) [2009] SCGLR 573 I have already indicated that the Applicant
failed to attach a copy of the said internal enquiry or auditors report to this
application. The court is therefore left to speculate and conjecture as to the
substance of the Applicant’s allegation against the Defendant at this stage. <o:p></o:p>