MAMA ADESI COMPANY LIMITED vs. UNIVERSAL MERCHANT BANK LIMITED [2023]DLSC15108

Date	2023-05-03
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/91/2022
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC15108

PWAMANG JSC (PRESIDING)

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

AMADU JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

ASIEDU JSC

AURELIUS AWUKU ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT

AGBESI K. DZAKPASU ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/APPELLANT

[2023]DLSC15108
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#00B0F0">MAMA ADESI
COMPANY LIMITED<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;color:#00B0F0">UNIVERSAL
MERCHANT BANK LIMITED<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">&nbsp;<div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/91/2022&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;&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: 3RD MAY 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">CORAM<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:
minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">PWAMANG
JSC (PRESIDING), LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC, AMADU JSC, PROF. MENSA-BONSU
(MRS.) JSC, ASIEDU 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 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AMADU JSC:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;INTRODUCTION:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;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;">1)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
My Lords, the key
issue for our determination in this appeal is, whether or not the two lower
courts properly apprehended and evaluated the evidence on record within the
context of the relevant applicable law before entering judgment for the
Plaintiff and affirming same respectively. In other words, did the two Lower
Courts properly allocate the statutory evidential burden on the party who
carries that burden, and found on the evidence and applicable law that, the Plaintiff’s
burden of proof had been satisfactorily discharged in accordance with the
prescribed legal standard before they arrived at their concurrent positions which
has given rise to this appeal?<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:
0in;margin-left:.25in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;
text-indent:-.25in;line-height:115%;mso-list:l13 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:16.0pt;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;">2)<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
From the
undisputed facts of this dispute, the circumstances of the present appeal are
stimulating. The Plaintiff, suspecting its General Manager (GM) to have
misappropriated funds held in its accounts with Defendant’s bank, lodged a
criminal complaint of fraud and stealing against the GM. The GM was arrested,
charged with One Hundred and Fifty Nine (159) counts for the offence of
stealing between 2004 and 2010, contrary to Section 124(1) of the Criminal and Other
Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) (as amended).
The said GM, Konings Gbanaglo was subsequently convicted and sent</main>