DRAM OIL & TRADING LIMITED vs. DELOITTE & TOUCHE [2023]DLHC17145

Date	2023-12-07
Suit No.	SUIT NO. CM/RPC/0478/2022
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC17145

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE FRANCIS OBIRI

GASPAR LYLE NII-APONSAH

ACE ANAN ANKOMAH

[2023]DLHC17145
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">DRAM OIL &amp; TRADING
LIMITED<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">vs.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;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;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">DELOITTE &amp; TOUCHE<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
margin-bottom:0cm;margin-left:4.5pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">(DEFENDANT/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
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line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:-2.5pt;
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none"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">&nbsp;<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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
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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:
12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">SUIT NO.
CM/RPC/0478/2022&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: 7TH DECEMBER, 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>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; margin-left: 4.5pt; margin-right: -2.5pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">RULING<o:p></o:p>

</div>On 6th July, 2023,
the Defendant/Applicant (hereinafter called the Applicant) filed motion on
notice before this Court. The motion is praying the Court to set down issues 7
and 8 in the application for directions for same to be tried as preliminary
issues before the trial of the other issues.<o:p></o:p>The motion is supported by
affidavit and exhibits. I wish to reproduce the relevant paragraphs in this
ruling.<o:p></o:p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
on 25th May, 2022, the Plaintiff/Respondent (Respondent) instituted
the instant action against the Applicant for the reliefs endorsed on its Writ
of Summons and Statement of Claim.<o:p></o:p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
the Applicant entered appearance on 2nd July, 2022 and filed its
Amended Statement of Defence and Counterclaim on 6th July, 2022.<o:p></o:p>7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
the parties were unable to amicably resolve the matter during pre-trial
settlement, and on 7th March, 2023, the pre-trial judge set down a
total of ten (10) issues for trial (a copy of the court order dated 7th
March, 2023 is attached as exhibit D1).<o:p></o:p>8.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
this Honourable Court is yet to give directions for trial.<o:p></o:p>9.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That
the crux of Respondent’s case in the present suit is that in an earlier suit
titled Cal Bank Limited v Dram Oil &amp;
Trading Limited &amp; 6 Others Suit No. BFS/22/2013 (First Suit), Applicant
(i) allegedly failed to comply with the terms of reference set by the court in
its order dated 7th May, 2018. (A copy of the court order dated 7th
May, 2018 is attached as exhibit D2).<o:p></o:p>