A.B. AMPRATWUM AND STATE HOUSING COMPANY LTD. [2002]DLCHRAJ5884

Date	2002-04-18
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/491/9/1267
Citation No.	[2002]DLCHRAJ5884

BENJAMIN K. OPPONG

[2002]DLCHRAJ5884
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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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">A.B. AMPRATWUM <o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<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:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B050">STATE HOUSING COMPANY LTD. <o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENTS)<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">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">(CHRAJ)<o:p></o:p>

Our Ref: CHRAJ/491/9/1267&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; DATE: 18/04/2002<o:p></o:p>

</div>commissioner:<o:p></o:p>BENJAMIN K. OPPONG DEPUTY COMMISSONER
(PROMOTION &amp; ANTI-CORRUPTION) FOR COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:center;
mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>The Commission received a letter of complaint
dated 26th January, 1999 from Mr. A.B. Ampratwum, to which he attached a letter
numbered MWH/PER/04/55/v.ll dated 2nd February, 1998 from Mr. I.K.
Adjei-Mensah, the then Minister of Works and Housing terminating his
(Ampratwum's) appointment in the following express terms:<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">"I have to inform you that, in accordance with the report of the Special
Investigation Committee established to look into the operations of the State
Housing Company Limited, your services with the Company have been terminated
with immediate effect."<o:p></o:p>In his letter of complaint, Mr. Ampratwum
contended that the termination of his appointment did not refer to any specific
charges against him and that he was:<o:p></o:p>&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "being penalized for offence(s)
that are yet to be established."<o:p></o:p>He also contended that as a Public Officer he
was protected under Article 191 of the 1992 Constitution from arbitrary
dismissal without just cause.<o:p></o:p>Following a referral of the letter of
complaint to the Minister of Works and Housing for his comments, a response was
received which sought to justify the Complainant's dismissal based on the
"Report of the Special Investigation Committee established by the Ministry
of Works and Housing." Three (3) areas were discernible from the
Minister's letter as warranting the termination of the Complainant's
appointment and these are:<o:p></o:p>error of judgment on the part of management,
dereliction of dutyand improper supervision of Greater Accra projects.<o:p></o:p>Reacting to the comments from the Minister,
the Complainant expressedhis disdain against what he called "collective
responsibility" being&nbsp; thebasis for
his dismissal and questioned the "double standards" and discrimination
on the part of the Ministry in recalling Mr. J.V. Coffie, the&nbsp; Director of Planning at the time, back to the
AESL.<o:p></o:p>Mr.
Ampratwum also explained that he performed his assigned roles as expected and
can therefore not be labelled as derelict in his duties. Again, he stated that
the Regions had a peculiar form of administration which disabled him from
knowing that the Greater Accra Director was &nbsp;single-handedly awarding contracts to enable
him report to the Ministry on them.<o:p></o:p>Subsequently, the Attorney-General and
Minister for Justice informed the Commission vide his letter No. ILD/CHRAJ/158
of 5th July, 2001 that the State Housing Company had been directed to initiate
arrangement through the Ministry of Works and Housing "to pay terminal
benefits and other entitlements" due to named petitioners - including the
Complainant in the instant case. Significantly, the Attorney-General's letter
exhorted the Commission to:<o:p></o:p>"....
liaise with the SHC for the computation of same for onward payment to the
petitioners in full settlement of their claim."<o:p></o:p>Besides, the Commission also received a
letter from the SHC requesting it to inform the Complainant and tw</main>