MATHEW OHRBITZ- AMPIM vs. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL [2014]DLCA16202

Date	2014-12-18
Suit No.	SUIT NO. HI/166/2014
Citation No.	[2014]DLCA16202

OFOE (J.A.) – PRESIDING

ACQUAYE (J.A.)

WELBOURNE (J.A.)

MR. C. HAYIBOR FOR APPELLANT

MRS. GRACE OPPONG FOR RESPONDENT

[2014]DLCA16202
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MATHEW OHRBITZ- AMPIM <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>THE ATTORNEY GENERAL <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

SUIT
NO. HI/166/2014&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: 18TH DECEMBER, 2014<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. C. HAYIBOR FOR APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;text-justify:inter-ideograph;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">MRS. GRACE OPPONG FOR
RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p>OFOE (J.A.) – PRESIDING, ACQUAYE (J.A.),
WELBOURNE (J.A.)<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>WELBOURNE
JA:<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal
against the ruling of the High Court dated 27th
February 2013.<o:p></o:p>The facts of the case<o:p></o:p>This appellant in this
matter was a Senior High Court Registrar attached to the Community Tribunal in
Koforidua. <o:p></o:p>It is not in dispute
that the appellant was removed from the Judicial Service arising out of
findings of a team of auditors from the Judicial Service. It is not also in
dispute that after the audit investigation the appellant was summoned before a
committee made up of the then Acting Judicial Secretary, George Aryeeetey,
George Fordjour and Amoah-Owusu. Further not in dispute is the fact that the
appellant appeared before this body and after some deliberations he was made to
refund the amounts he was alleged to have fraudulently misappropriated.<o:p></o:p>After this he was
removed from the Service. He filed several petitions against his removal, one
of which led to the setting up of a one-man committee chaired by a then sitting
Judge of the Court of Appeal, His Lordship Justice Omari Sasu. This committee
came out with the finding that the appellant admitted his complicity in all the
illegal acts the audit team unearthed. Notable in the committee’s report was
the statement that the petitioner called no witness but he cross-examined two
witnesses called by the committee.<o:p></o:p>Since he was not
reinstated the appellant decided to go to court for the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p>“a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A declaration that the
purported dismissal of the Plaintiff from the Judicial Service without recourse
to due process as laid down in the Constitution 1992 is unlawful.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A&nbsp;
further declaration that by failing to give the Plaintiff a fair hearing
before his purported dismissal or removal from the Judicial Service, the
Defendant’s conduct is in flagrant violation of the Constitution 1992 and
therefore amounts to an unlawful dismissal.<o:p></o:p>c.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order for the payment to Plaintiff
of all his salaries from July 2002 to the date of final judgment.<o:p></o:p>d.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order for the payment to Plaintiff
of three months salary in lieu of Notice.<o:p></o:p>e.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order for the payment of Plaintiff’s
entire end of service benefits calculated up to the dated of final judgment.<o:p></o:p>f.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damages for prospective loss of
promotion and loss of employment.<o:p></o:p>g.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An order for the refund of the GH895.00
paid to the Judicial Service upon the directive of the aforesaid panel to the
Defendant.<o:p></o:p>h.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; General damages for wrongful dismissal.<o:p></o:p>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Interest on (c) and (e) calculated at
the prevailing bank rate from July 2002 to date of final payment”. <o:p></o:p>