Why a court found Akufo-Addo guilty, fined him ¢45,000 in 1980

An Accra High Court on March 20, 1980 found Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo guilty in a civil suit and imposed a fine of ¢45,000 [old Ghanaian cedi].

This was after a case of reckless driving involving the politician and the plaintiff, one Mr Woledzi travelled through the magistrate courts to the High Court over a period of 13 years.

Mr Woledzi sued Mr Akufo-Addo for damages for personal injuries and loss sustained by him as a result of an accident involving his car and that of the plaintiff.

The plaintiff was seriously injured in the accident. He demanded to be awarded ¢100,000 for personal injuries and loss sustained by him as a result of the defendant’s negligence and breach of statutory duties.

In both his pleadings and evidence during the trial, the plaintiff maintained that his car was stationary and parked on a flower bed in the middle of a dual-carriage road when he was hit by the first defendant.

The first defendant however, denied that the plaintiff’s vehicle was stationary at the time of the accident and contended that the collision was due to the Woledzi suddenly and without due care and attention driving across his path.

Mr Woledzi was represented by Michael Atidika while Nana Akufo-Addo’s lawyer was Amoako-Glover.

The case was presided by Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow one of the three High Court judges who were abducted and murdered on June 30, 1982.

At the time of delivering her judgement, Justice Koranteng-Addow observed the state of the plaintiff who was 41 years at the time of the accident as “different.”

“His appearance is terrible; his mouth is twisted to one side and it droops. This was caused by the loss of sensitivity on the right [p.440] side of the face. His eyes are so pronounced with the squint and he walks gingerly without co-ordinating his limbs. He moves as if he is going to trip at any moment. He still continues to take treatment for the after effects of his injury. He was in a coma for three weeks after the accident, but he remained in hospital for six months for his treatment. The broken arm was set in P.O.P,” the judge wrote.

“He had a fracture which would not unite with P.O.P. so a plate was inserted in the left-upper arm; and this would cause pain,” she further observed

The judge also noted that the plaintiff “still carries the plate in his arm. He still complains of pain in the right blind eye.”

Among other effects, Mr Woledzi was also assessed to have suffered brain damage, total blindness in his right eye and a loss of hearing in his right eye.

In a total summation of GH¢45,000.00, the judge awarded the plaintiff damages made of up of pain and suffering, loss of amenities, disfigurement and disability as well as cost.

“The plaintiff is deformed; the squint and the twisted mouth have deformed him. He is a man who has lost his self-confidence due to his present appearance. In his present condition there is little he can enjoy; a man who is so affected and afflicted with pain can hardly be said to enjoy full amenities of life. He has also lost his pension rights.

“Lastly, his inability to make a living to support himself and family – he is 54 years old; he was only 41 at the time of the accident. Considering the heights he would have attained in his job if he had not been disabled by this accident, he should be compensated for that loss. His damages should take seriously into account his pension rights which he lost and his total incapacity. I assess his damages at ¢45,000,” the judge ruled.

Read the full judgement of Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow in the case of Woledzi v. Akufo-Addo and another 1982-83 below: