Lilongwe City Council v Mahomed t/a [Price Slashers (Civil Cause 193 of 1993) [1993] MWHCCiv 38 (3 February 1993)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF M/\L/\WI LILONGWE DISTRICT REGJ STRY CIVIL CAUSE NO. 193 OF 1993 BETWEE N: LILONGWE CITY COU NCIL ancl PL td NI I F F S. H. MA HOMED t/a PRI CE SLASHER S ............ . ............. .. IJf f [I\I/J/\1'11 Coram : Jane Mayemu Ansah (Mrs ); Ac tin g Deputy Regi stra r Mvund ula ; of Co unse l f or t he Pl ainti ff Gona ul i nji; of Coun se l fo r t he Def end ant . R U L I N G Tl1is i s t he def endant ' s su mmo ns to set as ide judgement. lt i s d1Jly sup port.eel by an affida vi t . The app li cat ion to set as i de j udgement i s ll aSPd on the defencla nt ' s c l ai m t hat he has a def enc e on t he mer i ts again sL tl1P pla int i ff ' s case . Mr Gonau l i nj i, co unse l f or t he defe nda nt has gi ve n an explan aLion for the defe nda nt ' s de l ay in f ilin g a not i ce of inte ntio n to defend Lhe case . He has sai d t hat se rvic e was ef fec t ed by post . Th e env elope was addressed to t he def enda nt ' s per so nall y. The env e lope reached th e r eg i stered off ice i n t he absen ce of t l1 e def enda nt. He l1 ad ~Jone to Eu r ope on bu s in ess . Mr Gona ulinj i f ur t her states t hat t he defe nda nt has a good defe nce th 0 reforn the defau l t j ud geme nt be set as i de . The app li cat ion 1s stro ngl y opposed by Ul e plcii nt i f f. Mr Mb vun rJ1 lla has submitted t hat the de f enda nt has li ed in hi s expl anat i on for t he 1l0 l ay . The defendant has sa id t l1at t t1 e summo ns was ser ved by post wlie r 0as i I. v111s personal servi ce ancl L1 1e clefe ndant was wi th i n t11 e co untry . th roug h al l the docume r1 ts on t he f il e an d I fin d no aff id avit of se rvi ce . In the abse nce of the aff i da vi t of se rvi ce t here i s not hin g 1 ca n say regardin q t he fact that the def enda nt li ed or not . co ntent ion t hat t he t ime the summo ns r eac hed hi s off i ce he was out of lhn cou ntry . I therefore accept t he def endant' s r l1ave <JorH' 2/ . ..... .. . - - Th e de fend ant 1 s affi da vi t shows t hat t her e are tri ab l e i ssues. there f ore set aside judgeme nt and stay execut i on of t he war ra nt of execution . The def enda nt i s t o pay She ri ff fees i f any, and to se rve his def ence on the pl a i nti ff wi t hin 7 days f r om today 1 s dat e . PRONO UNCED in co ur t t hi s --·--;; V l-' ..,,c-..:.) ............. Day of Ja ne Mayemu An sa h (Mrs ) ACTING DEPUTY REGISTRAR