ISAAC ANTWI vs. OBIRI YEBOAH APPIAHENE [2023]DLSC15157

Date	2023-05-03
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/10/2023
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC15157

YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING)

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) JSC

ASIEDU JSC

HARUNA MAAMAH ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT

ROSENBERG OWUSU ADOKOH ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT/ APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2023]DLSC15157
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ISAAC ANTWI<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>OBIRI YEBOAH APPIAHENE<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPLICANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&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;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/10/2023&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;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
DATE: 3RD MAY 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<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: 0in 0in 1pt;">

HARUNA
MAAMAH ESQ. FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT/<o:p></o:p>

ROSENBERG
OWUSU ADOKOH ESQ. FOR DEFENDANT/APPLICANT/<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM<o:p></o:p>YEBOAH CJ (PRESIDING),
OWUSU (MS.) JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC, ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) 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;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>ASIEDU
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>My lords, this is an appeal by the
Plaintiff/Respondent/Respondent/Appellant (hereafter referred to as the
Plaintiff) against the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on the 24th
June 2021 which reversed a ruling given by the High Court, Tema on the 10th
day of December 2018. The Notice of Appeal was filed on the 8th day
of July 2021.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;FACTS:<o:p></o:p>In order to put this case in perspective, it is
very important to trace the history of this case. The
Defendant/Applicant/Appellant/Respondent (hereinafter called the Defendant)
alleges that in the year 1996 and 1997, he obtained subleases from AR AND AK
PROPERTIES LIMITED in respect of two parcels of land described as <a name="_Hlk131277522">plots Number C8/8 and C8/9 situate at a place called
Atomic Hills Housing Estate, Accra</a>. The Defendant says that, after
acquiring the land, he went into possession by constructing a fence wall around
the land and also by placing thereon a caretaker who farmed on the land. In
2014, a Certificate of Purchase was posted on the walls of the land at the
instance of the Plaintiff who claims to have purchased the land at an auction
held by the Courts. Consequently, the Defendant caused a search to be conducted
at the Registry of the High Court by his lawyers. According to the Defendant,
the search revealed that, one Iddrisu Ayaa Tetteh commenced an action at the
High Court by <a name="_Hlk131277424">Suits Number 1/2001 and AL/14/2006 </a>against
Winfred Otuafo Aryeh and Another which went in favour of Iddrisu Ayaa Tetteh.
In executing the judgments delivered in Suits Number 1/2001 and AL/14/2006,
Iddrisu Ayaa Tetteh, caused to be attached plots Number C8/8 and C8/9 situate
at a place called Atomic Hills Housing Estate, Accra which were subsequently
sold at an auction to the Plaintiff herein.<o:p></o:p>Following the above, the Defendant sued the
Plaintiff in Suit number AP/100/2015 bearing the title Obiri Yeboah Appiahene
vs. Isaac Antwi and Another for a declaration that the purported auction of
plots <a name="_Hlk131278649">Number C8/8 and C8/9 situate at a place called
Atomic Hills Housing Estate, Accra </a>was illegal and hence the certificate of
purchase issued by the Registrar of the High Court to the Plaintiff herein was
null and void. The Defendant also sought an order to set aside the purported
auction sale and a declaration of title to the said properties as well as
recovery of possession and damages. The Defendant says that after the trial of
the suit in <a name="_Hlk131278455">AP/100/2015</a>, judgment went in his
favour for the reliefs indorsed on his writ of summons as set out above.<o:p></o:p>The Defendant says that subsequent to the judgment
in <a name="_Hlk131352764">AP/100/2015</a>, one Alex Yamoah claiming to be an
Assignee of the Plaintiff herein, sued the Defendant at the High Court, Tema,
in <a name="_Hlk131278990">Suit number E1/7/2017</a>, over plots Number C8/8
and C8/9 situate at Atomic Hills Housing Estate, Accra for a declaration of
title. The Defendant says that he succeeded in getting the High Court, Tema to
dismiss Suit number E1/7/2017 on grounds of estoppel per res judicata. It is
the case of the Plaintiff that he was never served with the processes leading
to the judgment in suit Number AP/100/2015 and therefore the said judgment was
obtained by fraud. On the 3rd day of July 2018 the Plaintiff instituted the
instant action at the High Court, Tema against the Defendant for: <o:p></o:p>a.<span style="font-style: normal; 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;&nbsp; A declaration that the judgment in Suit Number
AP/100/2015 obtained on the blind side of the Plaintiff was procured by fraud
and same ought to be set aside as void and of no effect.<o:p></o:p>b.