[2015]DLCA8400 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">MR. AYAMGA YAKUBU AKOLGO<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0">INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE MR MOHAMMED AHMED ALHASSAN, COMMISSIONER OF POLICE (MRS. ROSE ATINGA BIO), DEPUTY COMMISIONER OF POLICE (MR. MOSES RANSFORD NINSON) AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(DEFENDANTS / APPELLANTS / APPLICANTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[COURT OF APPEAL, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center;border:none; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO.: H3 / 552 / 2015 </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">DATE: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">22<sup>ND</sup> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"">OCT, 2015</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">MR. A. K. KOKROKO FOR APPLICANTS<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">RESPONDENT APPEARS IN PERSON<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">CORAM:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">M. AGYEMANG (MRS) J.A.<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">This is a ruling in respect of an application for stay of execution of the ruling of the High Court delivered on the 5<sup>th</sup> of February 2015 by which an order was made for the payment of damages by the defendants/ appellants/applicants herein to the plaintiff/respondent/respondent (respondent).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The application is supported by a twenty-one paragraph affidavit sworn to by one ACP/Mr Frank S. Kwofie, Director General Legal and Prosecution at the Ghana Police Service who alleged himself to have the consent and authority of the defendants/applicants to depose to matters that were within his personal knowledge, information and belief.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Giving a background to the application, the said deponent recounted that the respondent, then Kwesimintsim District Police Commander, was instructed by the third applicant to make entries of occurrence in a book introduced by the third applicant then Western Regional Commander. This was part of a programme dubbed “Operation calm life” which was set in motion to curb the incidents of robbery and violence in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis at the time. The respondent allegedly refused to comply with the directive, contending that it had not been introduced by the first applicant who alone had the authority to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">Following the alleged refusal, the matters were allegedly investigated and the respondent, found culpable. He was punished with a reduction in rank from Superintendent to Deputy Superintendent of Police and the consequent reduction in salary and benefits. The respondent, aggrieved by this, initiated judicial review proceedings before the High Court, Accra which having heard the matter, entered judgment for the respondent, quashing the decision that resulted in the reduction of rank of the respondent. A consequential order was made remitting the case to the Police Force for it to constitute a Central Disciplinary Board to rehear it. The court further awarded damages of GHC40,000 to the respondent. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The applicants filed an appeal against the award of damages and followed it up with the instant application for a stay of execution pending appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The applicants have alleged that the respondent may not be in a position to refund the sum of GHC40,000 to the applicants in the event of a successful appeal, and furthermore, that the first defendant as head of the Police Force had, in accordance with Regulation 105(10)(a) of Police Service Regulations, caused all arrears of salary and allowances resulting from a reduction in rank from Superintendent to Deputy Superintendent, to be paid to the respondent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The main argument upon which the instant application is premised, is the submission that the appeal raises an arguable legal point as judgment of the court below was decided <i>per incuriam</i>, and thus stands a good chance of being reversed on appeal. In this regard, the argument has been forcefully made that the award of damages was not envisaged by Regulation105(10)(a) of the Police Service Regulations which laid down the monetary compensation payable to an officer who having been interdicted, was acquitted of wrongdoing following a service inquiry. Learned counsel contended that in any event, the amount of GHC40,000 damages was excessive, and would cause undue stress on the financial commitments of the Police Service. This, he submitted, would in turn affect the administrative and operational running of the Service. Lastly, he has argued that at the respondent’s present salary, a successful appeal will be difficult to satisfy, for the judgment debt if paid may have to be recovered in salary deductions over a number of years.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">The respondent filed a rather prolix affidavit which was full of legal and other arguments as well as a supplementary affidavit in opposition. The matters of fact deposed to are the following: that although he was restored to his position per order of certiorari that quashed the disciplinary proceedings including its verdict, the applicants punished him in other ways, including the failure to reconstitute the Central Disciplinary Board as ordered by the court. He deposed that the award of damages was lawfully made, and had no nexus with the monetary compensation payable to an interdicted officer who was acquitted of charges. The amount of GHC4,100 which had been restored to him was by no means in the nature of damages nor was it adequate compensation for the distress an