RANSFORD BANSAH AND ECOBANK LIMITED [2010]DLCHRAJ5975

Date	2010-08-23
Suit No.	Our Ref CHRAJ/704/29/769
Citation No.	[2010]DLCHRAJ5975

JOSEPH WHITTAL

[2010]DLCHRAJ5975
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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">RANSFORD BANSAH<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">ECOBANK LIMITED<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 1.0pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:5.0pt;text-align:justify;mso-pagination:
none;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">Our Ref CHRAJ/704/29/769&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;23-8-2010<o:p></o:p>

</div>COMMISSIONER:<o:p></o:p>JOSEPH WHITTAL DIRECTOR (LEGAL
&amp; INVESTIGATIONS) For: COMMISSIONER<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;
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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 .5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 1.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">DECISION<o:p></o:p>

</div>The Complainant, by a petition
dated 26th October, 1999 addressed to the Commission, petitioned the Commission
against his wrongful dismissal from Ecobank Ltd. as contained in the bank's
dismissal letter dated June 8, 1999. The Complainant prayed the Commission for
the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.8pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Declaring Complainant's
dismissal unlawful, unsupportable and setting aside same; <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.8pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-.25in;mso-pagination:none;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5;border:none;mso-padding-alt:
31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;mso-border-shadow:yes">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Reinstating Complainant to his
office without loss of earnings, status, promotion or privileges whatsoever;
and <o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt;
margin-left:36.8pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in;mso-pagination:none;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5;border:none;mso-padding-alt:31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt 31.0pt;
mso-border-shadow:yes">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Any other order or orders as
the Commission may deem fit.<o:p></o:p>According to the Complainant, he was an employee of the Respondent
from May 1991 to June 1999 when he was dismissed from the Respondent's
employment. He stated that in or around November, 1998, one Mrs. Mary Mensah
who was not a customer of the Respondent bank presented an offshore cheque with
a face value of £1,200.00 which she intended to clear through the Respondent.
The Complainant claimed that he helped Mrs. Mary Mensah in preparing a
pay-in-slip and introduced her to the schedule officer, one Nicholas Botchway.<o:p></o:p>The Complainant further stated that he indicated on the
pay-in-slip that he should be informed when the cheque was cleared so that he
could inform Mrs. Mary Mensah to collect the proceeds. Three weeks later the
corresponding bank sent a swift message to the Respondent bank that the cheque
was cleared. He accordingly informed Mrs. Mary Mensah who came to the bank and
received the money from the schedule officer after the bank had deducted its
commission of £10.00. The Complainant maintained that in February 1999 while he
was on his annual leave, he was informed by the schedule officer that the
Respondent had received another advice from the corresponding bank that the
cheque was a stolen one. The Complainant said his immediate reaction was to
contact Mrs. Mary Mensah to relay the information to her and request her to
repay the money. He was not successful in locating her despite all efforts to
locate her. Upon the advice of his superior officer, he personally paid the
money from his own resources to the Respondent to avoid any embarrassment.<o:p></o:p>Notwithstanding the payment, the Complainant on 7 May 1999
received a query from the Internal Audit and Control Unit to explain certain
transactions and withdrawals in his personal account. He was also asked
specifically about the purchase of $2,100.00. A second query was issued to the
Complainant on 10th May 1999 requiring him to provide certain details about the
transactions covering the purchase of $2,100.00, the £1,200.00 cheque cashed by
Mrs. Mary Mensah and also about the sale of his private car with registration
No. GR 4685 C. He subsequently answered all these queries and on 13th May 1999,
he received a letter of suspension from the Managing Director of the Respondent
bank.<o:p></o:p>Be that as it may, the Complainant claimed he successfully located
Mrs. Mary Mensah. Mrs. Mary Mensah availed herself to some senior members of
management of the Respondent together with the Police CID who interrogated her
about the Complainant's involvement in the stolen cheque issue. Subsequent to
being handed over to the Police for further investigations, the Complainant was
summarily dismissed by the Respondent per a letter dated 18th June 1999.<o:p></o:p>RESPONDENT’S
COMMENTS<o:p></o:p>