King's / Queen's Bench Division of the High Court

QB-2022-000681 - [2025] EWHC 2744 (KB)

Fecha: 27-Oct-2025

Heading

Neutral Citation Number: [2025] EWHC 2744 (KB)

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE

KING’S BENCH DIVISION

Case No: QB-2022-000681

Royal Courts of JusticeStrand, London, WC2A 2LL

Date: 27 October 2025

Before:

Mr Jonathan Glasson KC sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court

Between:

CRAFT DEVELOPMENT SCI

(suing by its provisional administrator Mr Ngoua

Elembe Hiob, pursuant to an appointment by the

High Court of Douala, Cameroon, Judgment

200/CIV of 8 March 2021)

Claimant

- and -

(1) ACTIS LLP (a firm)

(2) ACTIS AFRICA REAL ESTATE FUND 3 aka Actis Africa Real

Estate 3 LP (a firm)

(3) ACTIS AFRICA REAL ESTATE 3A LP aka Actis Africa Real Estate

Fund 3 (a firm)

(4) ACTIS AFRICA REAL ESTATE 3 CO-INVESTMENT SCHEME LP

aka Actis Africa Real Estate Fund 3 (a firm)

(5) ACTIS AFRICA REAL ESTATE 3C LP aka Actis Africa Real Estate Fund 3 (a firm)

(6) ACTIS GP LLP (a firm)

arty

Defendants

Mr Andrew Maguire (instructed by Mirande Nasah Solicitors) for the Claimant

Ms Zoe O’Sullivan KC (instructed by Charles Russell Speechlys) for the Defendants

Hearing date: Wednesday 8 October 2025

(Judgment sent in draft: 23 October 2025)

Approved Judgment

This judgment was handed down remotely at 10.30 a.m. on 27^th October 2025 by circulation to the parties or their representatives by e-mail and by release to the National Archives.

MR JONATHAN GLASSON KC SITTING AS A DEPUTY JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT:

This judgment is concerned with four applications which have been made in this case: three by the Claimant and one by the Defendants. Each of the applications are variously concerned with the order made by Stacey J on 4 June 2025 consequent to her judgment in which she granted the Defendants’ application for security for costs. That judgment is reported at [2025] EWHC 1355 (KB) – “the Stacey J judgment”.

In her order dated 4 June 2025 (and sealed on 5 June 2025), Stacey J ordered:

“The Claimant do give security for the Defendants’ future costs of the claim until up to the service and exchange of lay and expert witness evidence (as set out in the First and Second CMC Orders and with the agreed extension of time contained in the May Order) in the sum of £300,000 in accordance with paragraph 2 below.

The Claimant shall make payment of the sums set out at paragraphs 2.1-2.3 below into the Court Funds Office by the dates set out herein or by lodging with the Defendants’ solicitors first class bank guarantees in the sums set out at paragraphs 2.1-2.3 below in favour of the Defendants and issued by a bank within England and Wales

First tranche of security in the sum of £100,000 to be provided by no later than 4pm on 4 July 2025;

Second tranche of security in the sum of £100,000 to be provided by no later than 4pm on 22 August 2025; and

Third tranche of security in the sum of £100,000 to be provided by no later than 4pm on 19 September 2025.

In the event that security is not provided in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 above, the Defendants have permission to apply to the Court for the proceedings to be stayed.

Costs in the case”