THOMAS K. SANKPER AND CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS [2004]DLCHRAJ5713

Date	2004-10-06
Suit No.	Our Ref: CHRAJ/784/99/1101
Citation No.	[2004]DLCHRAJ5713

D.K. OFOSU QUARTEY

[2004]DLCHRAJ5713
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >THOMAS K.
SANKPER<o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>AND<o:p></o:p>CONSERVATOR
OF FORESTS<o:p></o:p>(RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>(CHRAJ)<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">

Our Ref: CHRAJ/784/99/1101&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; 06/10/2004<o:p></o:p>

</div>INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>The
Complainant on 30th November 1999, petitioned the Commission for wrongful
dismissal from the Respondent's organization as a Technical Officer Grade II.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>COMPLAINANT'S CASE<o:p></o:p>The
Complainant, Mr. Thomas K. Sankper appeared with his Counsel, Mr. Dubik Y.
Mahama while the Respondent was represented by Mr. John Amuzu of the Forest
Services Division.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
1.2pt;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">The
Complainant said he was appointed as a Forestry Officer in 1994 and posted to
the Mampong District and was stationed at Ejura overseeing the Pru Shelter Belt
Forest Reserve. Sometime in 1995, his District Head, one Mr. Francis Asiedu
Yeboah instructed him to go to a village called Mininaso No.l to inspect a tree
which one Mr. Owusu Kwabena had applied to fell and split for the completion of
a community school. On the appointment day, he could not personally go for the
inspection due to ill health, but he gave a note which was fendered in evidence
as Exhibit 'A' to the Assemblyman one L.B. Opoku to supervise the felling of
the tree by Mr. Owusu Kwabena. Mr. Owusu Kwabena went ahead and felled two (2)
standing trees (Mahogany) and one (1) dead tree outside the Forest Reserve. In
the process of splitting them, a Forest Guard whose ill-conduct had once been
reported to the District Forestry Officer by the Complainant for his
involvement in illegal farming in the Pru Shelter Belt, saw Mr. Owusu Kwabena
and asked him to produce his authority to fell the tree and he gave him the
note from the Complainant.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>He
said that he never received any query from his District Forestry Officer, but
he was later arrested and investigated by the Police. An investigation team
also came from the Forestry Department, Accra to investigate him. The
Assemblyman wrote to explain the issue in favour of the Complainant.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
1.9pt;line-height:normal;mso-pagination:none;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">He
said that the investigation team from Accra never contacted his immediate boss,
the District Forestry Officer either verbally or in writing. After that the Complainant
was interdicted and later dismissed. He petitioned the Minister for Lands and
Forestry for redress, but to no avail.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>