CATHERINE BOYE-QUAYE VS COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT LIMITED
2018
HIGH COURT
GHANA
CORAM
- HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH- BOAFO
Areas of Law
- Contract Law
2018
HIGH COURT
GHANA
CORAM
AI Generated Summary
The Court initially granted a judgment in favor of the Plaintiff for $22,222.70. The Plaintiff sought to amend this judgment to include interest and payments made, calculating the Defendant's total liability to be GH₵479,236.24. The Defendant opposed the amendment, arguing interest should be calculated in US dollars based on the agreed commercial rate. The Court allowed the amendment, confirming the 25.2% interest rate based on the evidence. The applicable legal principles include binding contract terms and interest calculations governed by statutory rules.
Background:
[1] The facts of this case are free from complexity.
On March 15, 2017 this Court entered judgment in favour of the Plaintiff/Applicant’s herein against the Defendant for the recovery of the total amount of $22, 222. 70. The Court at the time stated that it was an amount the “Defendant admitted owing” based on the pleadings filed.
The Plaintiff/Applicant in the instant application has deposed through Counsel Stanley Boye-Quaye Esq. that “the Plaintiff obtained judgment in this Honourable Court against the Defendant/Judgment Debtor/Respondent” on 15/03/2017 for the total sum of Gh₵352, 480. 42. Mr. Boye Quaye further deposed that the interest on the judgment debt up to September, 2017 was Gh₵44, 412. 53 and therefore the total debt stands at Gh₵396, 892. 95. [2] Mr. Boye-Quaye has further deposed that “the UniBank Ghana Limited paid an amount of Gh₵5, 481. 78 to the Plaintiff pursuant to the garnishee order of the Court in September, 2017”. It is also the case of the Applicant that the said payment reduced the Defendant’s liability to Gh₵391, 411. 17. A further Gh₵1000 being the cost awarded against the Plaintiff further reduced the liability according to the Plaintiff/Judgment Debtor to Gh₵390, 411. 17. The Plaintiff has further calculated the “interest on the judgment debt from October 2017 to September 2018 to be Gh₵88, 825. 07”. Based on all of the above, it is the case of the Plaintiff that the total liability of the Defendant is Gh₵479, 236. 24. It is the above the Plaintiff prays the Court for leave to state on an Amended Entry of Judgment to be served on the Defendant. [3] The Defendant/Respondent is opposed to the instant application and has deposed to affidavit in opposition through its Chief Executive Officer, Kelli-Cross Kuagbenu-Sachiel.
According to the Deponent the application is without merit and must be refused.
Mr. Kuagbenu-Sachiel has deposed that he is advised and will contend that “the judgment being for recovery of an amount quoted in the US Dollars (i. e. US22, 222. 70) the Plaintiff must compute the interest on the US dollar currency strictly in accordance with the judgment and as provided by the agreement of the parties or as specified by law”. A copy of the judgment is attached. [4] It is also deposed that the 25% used as the interest rate on the US dollar cannot be justified because it is not the Bank of Ghana Commercial rate as agreed to by the parties.
The Defendant put the Plaintiff to a strict proof o