EMBALINKS TELECOM SERVICES LTD. vs. CAL BANK LTD. [2023]DLSC16113

Date	2023-03-22
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/70/2022
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC16113

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC

ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) JSC

ASIEDU JSC

E. K. AMUAH-SEKYI ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.

NANA BEMA ADENU-MENSAH ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/ APPELLANT.

[2023]DLSC16113
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >EMBALINKS
TELECOM SERVICES LTD. <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/ APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>CAL BANK LTD. <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT) <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;">

CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/70/2022&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;DATE:
22ND &nbsp;MARCH 2023&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL <o:p></o:p>E. K. AMUAH-SEKYI ESQ. FOR THE
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>NANA BEMA ADENU-MENSAH ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/<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;text-align:justify;line-height:
normal;tab-stops:82.3pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><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;;
mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC
(PRESIDING), OWUSU (MS.) JSC, TORKORNOO (MRS.) JSC, ACKAH-YENSU (MS.) JSC, <span lang="EN-US" 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;;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">ASIEDU
JSC&nbsp;&nbsp; <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;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"><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;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;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">&nbsp;

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;text-align:center;
line-height:normal;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">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&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><a name="_Hlk13039370">ACKAH-YENSU (MS) JSC:-<o:p></o:p></a>&nbsp;INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>This appeal has
arisen as a result of a dispute over the computation of the actual indebtedness
of a customer to a bank.&nbsp; Nowadays, it is
not uncommon for debtors to seek the intervention of the courts to avoid valid
transactions entered into with creditors.&nbsp;
The timing of such interventions, often during a default, is strategic
with obvious motives. However, the courts cannot intervene unless there are
vitiating circumstances like unconscionability, mistake, or fraud.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;Indisputably, while
borrowers are usually persons in great need and will often succumb to whatever
terms of the agreement entered into with lenders, the law has carved a
balancing mechanism to sustain the social significance of the
bank-customer/borrower-lender relationship.&nbsp;
There are several occasions where the courts have opened up agreements
entered into between a bank and its customer and reviewed or modified same for
being unconscionable.&nbsp; Other times, the
courts find that the customer seeks to hoodwink the bank by adopting various
strategies to dishonor payments on facilities they have taken benefit of.&nbsp; The instant appeal follows the conundrum
confronting the banking industry following this trend.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;In this judgment,
we shall refer to the parties by the same designation as at the trial court, as
Plaintiff and Defendant.&nbsp; The Plaintiff’s
dissatisfaction with the banker-customer relationship that exists between her
and the Defendant Bank compelled the initiation of the suit at the trial
court.&nbsp; That suit, was for inter alia reliefs against the payment
of alleged unconscionable interests/penal charges pertaining to financial
facilities the Plaintiff took benefit of, from the Defendant Bank.&nbsp; The trial court upheld the claims of the
Plaintiff and entered judgment in its favour.&nbsp;
That judgment was, however, reversed on appeal by the Cou</main>