CHATLANI vs. HAROUTUNIAN [1974]DLHC2266

Date	1974-06-28
Suit No.
Citation No.	[1974]DLHC2266

ABBAN J.

JOE REINDORF FOR THE PLAINTIFF.

JAMES QUASHIE-IDUN FOR THE DEFENDANT.

[1974]DLHC2266
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">CHATLANI <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">vs. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:
115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:Times;color:#548DD4;mso-themecolor:text2;mso-themetint:
153">HAROUTUNIAN <o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT,
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[1974] 2 GLR 263<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DATE:
28 JUNE 1974.<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

JOE
REINDORF FOR THE PLAINTIFF.<o:p></o:p>

JAMES
QUASHIE-IDUN FOR THE DEFENDANT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 0in 0in">

ABBAN J.<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>JUDGMENT OF ABBAN J.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff herein is claiming the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“(1)
¢1,200.00 being damages for wrongful dismissal;<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">(2)
¢1,733.32 being leave salary due and owing by the defendant to the plaintiff;
and (3) ¢2,320.00 being gratuity due and owing by the defendant to the
plaintiff.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>All the
parties are foreigners who have been living in this country for a considerable
number of years. The defendant has been a general merchant, trading in all
sorts of merchandise. He had a retail store in Accra and in 1959, he employed
the plaintiff as a store-keeper in that store. In the course of time, the
defendant promoted the plaintiff to the status of a manager, and by May 1962,
the plaintiff was in full control of the defendant’s business in Ghana on a
monthly salary of ¢200.00.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
defendant had other business interests in England and he was therefore partly
living in Manchester. The plaintiff said he worked for nearly ten years without
going on leave, even though by the terms of his employment he was entitled to
go on leave every year and he always applied to the defendant to allow him to
take the said leave. The defendant’s excuse for not allowing the plaintiff to
go on leave was that there was no one to relieve the plaintiff.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>During
the latter part of 1968, there was stock-taking of the goods and cash in the
store; and after drawing up the balance sheet it was found that the cash was
short by ¢6.91 and the stock was also short by ¢872.84. Both parties signed the
balance sheet, acknowledging the shortages; but on or about 31 January 1969,
the defendant wrote to the plaintiff dismissing the plaintiff from the
defendant’s business. The letter of dismissal, exhibit A, reads as follows:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:.5in;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">“Selwyn
Market Street, P.O. Box 392, Accra, Ghana, W.A. 31 January, 1969. Mr. Gobindram
Chatlani, Accra. Dear Mr. Gobindram, In view of the considerable amount of
shortages discovered both in cash and goods entrusted to you, please note that
your employment is terminated as from 31 January 1969. Yours faithfully, (Sgd.)
Leon Haroutunian.”<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The
plaintiff alleged that he alone was handling the stock amounting to over
¢150,000.00. The plaintiff acted as a store-keeper, a book-keeper, a salesman
and a manager at the same time; and even though the plaintiff complained to the
defendant that the burden was more than the plaintiff could bear, the defendant
refused to employ additional hands. There were other employees working in the
store but they were not in any responsible position so far as the defenda</main>