SG-SSB LIMITED vs. MR CHARLES AFFRAN [2017]DLCA4572

Date	2017-12-14
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/144/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4572

V. D. OFOE JA (PRESIDING)

S. DZAMEFE JA

M. M. AGYEMANG (MRS.) JA

MR. GORDON AKPADIE WITH R. MODEY FOR PLAINTIFF / RESPONDENT

MR. CHARLES A. TAMMA FOR DEFENDANT / APPELLANT

[2017]DLCA4572
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SG-SSB LIMITED<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>MR CHARLES AFFRAN<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO:&nbsp; H1/144/2017&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: 14TH DECEMBER,
2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>MR.
GORDON AKPADIE WITH R. MODEY FOR PLAINTIFF / RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
CHARLES A. TAMMA FOR DEFENDANT / APPELLANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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V.
D. OFOE JA (PRESIDING), S. DZAMEFE JA, M. M. AGYEMANG (MRS.) JA<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AGYEMANG JA:<o:p></o:p>In this appeal against the judgment of the High Court,
(General Jurisdiction) Accra, delivered on the 15th of June 2016, the defendant/appellant
(hereafter referred to as the appellant) prays for the judgment to be set aside. <o:p></o:p>The matters that have given rise to the instant
appeal are sufficiently simple.<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff/respondent (hereafter referred to as
the respondent) was an employee of the appellant. In July 2007, he held the
post of Deputy Manager at the appellant’s Tema Fishing Harbour Branch. On 5th
July 2007,while he was in charge of the said branch, two funds transfer request
letters bearing signatures purporting to belong to authorised signatories of
one of the bank’s customers: Emefs Construction Company Limited, were submitted
to the respondent. It was the respondent’s case that he verified same and
forwarded the requests to the bank’s central foreign transfers outfit: the
International Business Centre of the bank, for its action upon the request. A
few days later, the respondent was invited to the Sakumono Police Station where
he was confronted with the allegation that he had failed to verify the
signatures on the letters, and that the IBC which had acted on his purported
verification, had transferred two sums of money: GBP 32,420 and GBP82,364 from
the account of Emefs Construction which transactions turned out not to have
been authorized by the said customer at all. The respondent’s alleged failure
to verify the signatures was said to have led to loss of money by the bank
which had had to refund the customer’s missing monies to it.<o:p></o:p>The respondent who was let out on Police inquiry
bail, was invited to explain his actions before the in-house Disciplinary Committee
of the appellant. After his appearance before the said committee, the appellant
wrote to the respondent, terminating his employment with the appellant. <o:p></o:p>By letter exhibit H, the respondent appealed this
decision and also lodged a complaint at the National Labour Commission. When both
processes failed to yield the desired result, he commenced an action at the
court below seeking the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
A declaration that the plaintiff was not negligent
or incompetent when he verified the signature on the transfer letter from Emefs
Construction Company;<o:p></o:p>b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
An order for reinstatement as deputy manager of the
defendant bank or alternativel</main>