[2019]DLHC7186 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">AFRICAN AUTOMOBILE LIMITED</span></b><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(PLAINTIFF/JUDGMENT/ CREDITOR/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif";color:#00B0F0">ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY</span></b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">(DEFENDANT/JUDGMENT/ DEBTOR/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">[HIGH COURT (GENERAL JURISDICTION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%; border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in; mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">SUIT NO. RPC/344/2007</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif""> DATE: 9<sup>TH</sup> OCTOBER, 2019<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">PETRINA DEFIA FOR OSAFO BUABENG FOR PLAINTIFF/JUDGMENT/<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CREDITOR/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">AKAWARI ATINDEM (ASA) FOR DEFENDANT/JUDGMENT/DEBTOR/<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="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:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">APPLICANT<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none; padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The core issue which I have been called upon to adjudicate on in this application is as to whether or not the arrears of interest on the Judgment debt is statute barred.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">A brief summary of the facts in the instant application are that on the 3<sup>rd</sup> March, 2009, Judgment was entered in favour of the Plaintiff. The Defendant/Judgment/Debtor filed an appeal against the decision of the Court and followed it up with an application for Stay of Execution. On the 29<sup>th</sup> July, 2009, the Court granted the said application and stayed the execution of the Judgment on condition that the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor pays50% of the Judgment debt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Defendant/Judgment/Debtor being dissatisfied with the said condition filed another application for Stay of Execution at the Court of Appeal. The Appellate Court affirmed the decision of the trial High Court and ordered the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor to pay the 50% of the Judgment debt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Subsequent to this order of the Court of Appeal, the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor paid some sums of money totaling GH¢252,739.98. The Defendant/Judgment/Debtor assumed that the payment of the said sum satisfied the conditions imposed by the Court in the grant of the application for Stay of Execution. It is to be noted that the issue as to the nature of the Judgment debt as stated in the decision of Her Ladyship Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu was put before me. I must say that in going into the merits of that issue, I had occasion to refer the matter to the Registrar and Her Ladyship Barbara Ackah-Yensu. The outcome of the enquiry was to the effect that the Judgment upon which the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor relied on to compute the Judgment debt was doctored and fake. The Court therefore rejected the contention of the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor regarding the quantum of Judgment debt. It became clear therefore that the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor had not satisfied the condition for the grant of the Stay of Execution ordered by the Court. The Plaintiff/Judgment/Creditor accordingly proceeded to go into execution for the outstanding Judgment debt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It is to be observed further that, the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor continued to file one application after the other, all with a view to preventing the Plaintiff/Judgment/Creditor from going into execution. For example, on the 6<sup>th</sup> September, 2018, the Plaintiff/Judgment/Creditor filed an application for garnishee order nisi against the Bank of Ghana. The said application was granted on the 8<sup>th</sup> October, 2018. The Defendant/Judgment/Debtor then filed an application to set aside the said garnishee order nisi. The Court dismissed the said application on the 13<sup>th</sup> March, 2019. On the 13<sup>th</sup> May, 2019, a representative of the Bank of Ghana appeared before the Court. Counsel for the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor who appeared for the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor was given a hearing and the Court proceeded to make the order absolute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">In my view, the content of the affidavit in opposition which Counsel narrated to the Court had no merit. The Court therefore proceeded, without any cause being sown by the garnishee Bank of Ghana, to make the order absolute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It is against this backdrop that the present application has been filed by the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor seeking an order of this Court to set aside the order absolute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I must say that I find the present application unfortunate and most incompetent. In the first place, having heard Counsel for Defendant/Judgment/Debtor on the date the garnishee Bank of Ghana appeared in Court on their opposition to the grant of the order absolute, the Defendant/Judgment/Debtor, if dissatisfied with the decision of the Court ought to appeal against the said decision. In my view the Court satisfied the requirements of Order 47 rule 5 of CI. 47.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It is further my view that the Section 4 of the Limitation Act, 1972 (NRCD 54) is not applicable to t