BERNARD WIREDU vs. FORESTRY COMMISSION [2015]DLNLC8385

Date	2015-12-30
Suit No.
Citation No.	[2015]DLNLC8385

[2015]DLNLC8385
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >BERNARD WIREDU<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>FORESTRY COMMISSION<o:p></o:p>[NLC]<o:p></o:p><div style="font-size: medium; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 31pt 31pt 1pt;">Our Ref: NLC/C-414/013/016/66L&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: 30TH DECEMBER, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>FOR THE COMMISSON:<o:p></o:p><div style="font-size: medium; border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom: 1.5pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">EDWARD BRIKU-BOADU (CHAIRMAN)<o:p></o:p>DECISION<o:p></o:p></div>Sometime in February, 2012, Caseben Wood Limited reported the Complainant's conduct to Respondent alleging that the Complainant who was the District Manager of the Respondent's Nkwanta Forest District, made them pay various sums of money meant to be payments for Rosewood they purchased, penalties and tips among others; into the complainant's personal account with the Juaso Branch of Ghana Commercial Bank Limited now GCB Bank Limited. Caseben Wood Limited attached an extract from its database (Exhibit "A") and copies of the pay-in-slips (Exhibit "B") as proof of payment of the total sum of GH0324,500.00 into the complainant's personal account. The Respondent lodged a formal complaint at the Achimota Police Station against the Complainant who was arrested detained and later granted Police enquiry bail.<o:p></o:p>In a letter dated 13th February, 2012, the Complainant was interdicted on half salary and on 14th February, 2012 he was queried to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for asking Huge Star Company Limited to make various payments for the conveyance of logs, penalties, renewal of documents and payment for container loads of logs between 21 December 2010 and 10th January 2012, into his personal account at the Juaso Branch of Ghana Commercial Bank Limited. A copy of the payments extracted from his accuser's database was attached to his query.<o:p></o:p>The Respondent set up a four man committee on 15th February, 2012 to investigate the truth or otherwise of the allegations and submit a report.<o:p></o:p>In his reply to the query dated 29th February 2012, the Complainant denied that Huge Star Company Limited paid various sums of money meant for the Commission into his personal account, and said among other things that Huge Star Company Limited did not transact any business with the Respondent. He explained that he received the query late because it was sent to Nkwanta and then re-routed to him in Accra where he was living.<o:p></o:p>The Committee submitted its report (Exhibit "E") on 10th April, 2012 to the Respondent's Executive Director. The Committee established among other things that:<o:p></o:p>1. The Complainant gave his personal bank account number to Mr. Lu of Huge Star Company Limited upon th