HUGH MARCELLINUS POTAKEY vs. DR. NII AMU DARKO [2024]DLHC17437

Date	2024-04-09
Suit No.	SUIT NO. GJ/ 510/2018
Citation No.	[2024]DLHC17437

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ALI BABA ABATURE

MR. EMMANUEL BRIGHT ATOKOH ESQ

MR. MAXWELL KWABENA LOGAN ESQ

[2024]DLHC17437
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk161040248"></a><a name="_Hlk152146143"><span style="font-size:
12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">HUGH
MARCELLINUS POTAKEY <o:p></o:p></a>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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">vs.<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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">DR. NII AMU DARKO <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:
11.0pt;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"><o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>&nbsp;<div style="font-size: 18px !important; 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;">

SUIT
NO. GJ/ 510/2018&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: 9TH &nbsp;APRIL, 2024<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL<o:p></o:p><div style="font-size: 18px !important; 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;">

<span style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;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">MR. EMMANUEL BRIGHT ATOKOH ESQ FOR THE PLAINTIFF MR.
MAXWELL KWABENA LOGAN ESQ FOR THE DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM <o:p></o:p>HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE ALI BABA
ABATURE<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 0cm 0cm;">

JUDGMENT

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>It
is worthwhile to state at the onset that this a part-heard case that was
adopted from my immediate four (4) past-predecessors for continuation of trial
and determination with the consent of counsels for both parties. Thus, the
determination of this case will be based on the record of proceedings as
adopted as well as the trial conducted before me.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;And
the record of proceedings, as adopted, has it that on 29th March 2018 the
Plaintiff caused a writ of summons to be issued out of the Registry of this
Court against the Defendant for the following reliefs;<o:p></o:p>"l.
An order against Defendant for the payment of the sum of one hundred and three
thousand seven hundred and fifty Ghana Cedis (GHC103,750.00) being the
outstanding amount of the remaining cost of printing a total of 42,000 copies
of books.<o:p></o:p>2.Interest
on the principal amount of GHC103, 750 from March 2017 to date of full and
final payment.<o:p></o:p>3.Costs
including solicitors fees.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;It
is essentially the case of the Plaintiff; as per his 25-paragraphed Statement
of Claim, that the Defendant contracted him to publish and print his
(Defendant's) manuscript titled "TETTEH QUARASHIE A STAR TO FOLLOW".
A proforma invoice was subsequently sent to the Defendant in which the cost of
the publishing and printing was indicated as GHC3.70 per book and the Plaintiff
was required to pay 65% of the cost of publishing and printing upfront. The
Defendant later commissioned the Plaintiff to publish and print two of this
other manuscripts titled "AFREMOCRACY" and "GHANA MO TIE".
The agreed total number of the books to be published and printed by the
Plaintiff for the Defendant was 42,000. The Plaintiff has published printed and
sent to the Defendant the 42,000 copies of the books after which the Plaintiff
successfully launched same at the University of Ghana. But Defendant has paid
to the Plaintiff a total of only GHc26,000.00 leaving an outstanding balance of
GHC 103, 750, hence the instant action against the Defendant for the recovery
of the outstanding balance on the publishing and printing of the Defendant's
three books plus interest from March 2017 to date of final payment.<o:p></o:p>It
is also the case of the Defendant, per his amended and reamended statement of
defence that he had manuscripts for a number of books for publishing and
printing and the Plaintiff was recommended to him as a good and well
experienced publisher.<o:p></o:p>And
so he engaged the services of the Plaintiff and emailed the manuscript of his
first book "TETTEH QUARSHIE-A STAR TO FOLLOW" in Word Format to the
Plaintiff to publish and print 15,000 copies at an agreed GHC 2.70 per copy.
The Defendant was to deposit 65% of the cost upfront. The Plaintiff received
the manuscript and paged and sent back same to Defendant for editing before
final printing. However, when the Plaintiff sent the final work on the book to
the Defendant, it was found to be sub standard and left much to be desired.
Despite, the above mentioned observations on the Plaintiff's work on the first
book, the Defendant again commissioned the Plaintiff to publish and print
17,000 of his two other manuscripts titled "AFREMOCRACY" and
"GHANA MONTIE- YANCI IS COMING". And when the Plaintiff submitted an
invoice for the work on the two additional books, it was found that the
Plaintiff had unilaterally increased the cost of publishing and printing a book
from the agreed GHC2.70 per book to GHC3.50. So, the new invoice increasing the
cost was rejected.<o:p></o:p>