News:
August 25, 2010
Zoe, Akyea & Co., the law firm headed by Atta Akyea, the Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa South, has dragged Joseph Adom Limited, a construction company, to an Accra Fast Track high court over unpaid legal services the firm offered the company.
Solicitors of the law firm, Akufo-Addo Prempeh &Co, in a statement of claim filed yesterday, is asking the court to grant their client the recovery of the sum of $81,569.20 and GH¢90,751.22 being legal fees for professional services duly rendered to the construction firm during the period of 2003 to 2009.
In addition, to other reliefs, such as an order for accounts and cost, the solicitors are asking for a declaration that Atta Akyea’s firm is entitled to exercise “a lien over all monies it recovered for construction company and has right of set-off as against its professional fees”.
According to the firm, it has proof of its entire claim against the construction firm, headed by its managing director, Joseph Adom.
The firm said it represented Joseph Adom and J. Adom Ltd in diverse ways, citing cases such as suit No. C882/2001 between Total FinaElf Ghana Limited and J. Adom Ltd, and its legal fees were GH¢5,058.34, and also suit No. AC 2/2003, between Engineers and Planners Ltd and J. Adom Ltd, in which its legal fees were GH¢53,460. 98 and $62, 069.00 which the construction firm had not paid.
In another case, suit No. AC 19/2007, between Vivendi Construction Company Ltd and J. Adom Ltd, its legal fees were assessed at GH¢17, 781. 76 but it remained outstanding while in suit No. 145/2007, between J. Adom Ltd and Harry Sintim Aboagye, its legal fees were assessed at GH¢6,600 .00 and not paid.
In suit No. 154/2007, between J. Adom Ltd and International Structures Group Ltd, the law firm said its unpaid legal fees were GH¢7, 850 .14.
The solicitors added that “in the botched property sale of an Airport Residential Area building, in which it saved J. Adom from paying USD 95,000 to a swindler, the construction company owes it USD 9, 500. 00, being ten percent.”
Other legal assignments undertaken by the law firm at the instance of the construction company, through the instructions of Joseph Adom, which legal fees were yet to be paid include negotiations with solicitor for SIC and solicitor for Eric Defour in securing title deed in respect of property adjacent to Joseph Adom’s house situated at Ringway Estate, Osu, Accra and the amount is $5,000 dollars.
The law firm contended that in a very dishonest attitude to avoid the payment of the professional fees, Joseph Adom lodged a complaint with the police against Atta Akyea, regarding the return of the monies Atta Akyea is holding “by way of lien and also set-off against the professional fees.’
According to the firm, on May 26, 2010 it submitted its professional fees to the police for the basis account.
The plaintiff indicated that “Joseph Adom, the alter ego of the defendant, has hired one Arhin as his spokesperson and the newfound Managing Director of the defendant to feed the press with misinformation to blackmail Atta Akyea, ostensibly to avoid the payment of the accrued legal fees and also out-of-pocket expenses”.
It was on this basis that the firm has gone to court to seek redress. However, the construction firm is yet to file its response.
Source:Daily Guide