SAMPSON KOFI TOTTIMEH vs. THE PRINCIPAL, DAMBAI COL. OF EDUC. & 3 OTHERS [2017]DLHC9186

Date	2017-12-19
Suit No.	SUIT NO. INDL/104/13
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC9186

HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE

DR. JOE ATTIPOE ESQ. OF JOE ATTIPOE AND ASSOCIATES COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF

AKAWARI ATINDEM ESQ. ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DEPT. COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS

[2017]DLHC9186
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">SAMPSON KOFI TOTTIMEH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:
&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;color:#00B0F0;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US">vs.<o:p></o:p>THE PRINCIPAL, DAMBAI COL. OF EDUC. &amp; 3
OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(COMPLAINANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o: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;line-height:normal;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">SUIT NO. INDL/104/13&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;DATE: 19TH DECEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>DR. JOE ATTIPOE, ESQ., OF JOE
ATTIPOE AND ASSOCIATES, COUNSEL FOR PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;margin-left:0cm;margin-right:.2pt">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:
normal;tab-stops:460.7pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">AKAWARI ATINDEM, ESQ., ATTORNEY GENERAL’S DEPT.,
COUNSEL FOR DEFENDANTS<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HER
LADYSHIP JUSTICE JENNIFER ABENA DADZIE<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Before I
deliver the judgment of this Court, I will note that this case was transferred
to the Commercial Court by Her Ladyship, the Chief Justice, from the Industrial
and Labour Court on November 17, 2015 for continuation of trial proceedings and
adjudication. <o:p></o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:150%;
font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">From the
extensive record of proceedings, the following facts can be ascertained.&nbsp; The
Plaintiff was employed with the 2nd Defendant as a tutor in
Mathematics on May 1, 2006 by the Ghana Education Service (“GES”).&nbsp; On March 26, 2012 by way of a letter, Exhibit “A”, the 1st
Defendant, who is the principal of the 2nd Defendant institution
purported to release the Plaintiff from the 2nd Defendant College to
the Dambai District Office of Education for re-assignment to another
school.&nbsp; It is the case of the Plaintiff
that the statements contained in Exhibit
“A” are not true and are defamatory of the Plaintiff, in particular the
following:<o:p></o:p>“Mr. Tottimeh has been a serious problem in the
school.&nbsp; He has decided to sell pamphlets
to students without passing through the Principal as decided by the
school.&nbsp; He collects money from students
for continuous assessment marks.&nbsp; The
Principal on many occasions have invited him before the Vice Principal, the
chaplaincy and some senior members of staff and advise him to change but he did
not change.&nbsp; He is a danger to discipline
in the school”.<o:p></o:p>This letter of release was later on withdrawn when the
purported release was challenged by the Plaintiff with the result that the
Plaintiff resumed his teaching appointment with the 2nd
Defendant.&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>The Plaintiff avers that the 1st Defendant,
after he failed in his attempt to have him released from the 2nd
Defendant institution subsequently levelled serious allegations against him
which caused the 2nd Defendant to setup a Committee to investigate
him.&nbsp; These allegations are contained in Exhibit “E”, a letter written by the
Chairman of the Governing Council of 2nd Defendant (“DW1/Council
Chairman”) and addressed to one Nana Osafo Acquah III, asking that he chair the
Committee of Investigation (the “Committee”) to be set up to investigate the
following allegations of improper conduct levelled against the Plaintiff:<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7">a)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To establish whether Mr. Tottimeh was ever
arrested and detained in Akuse Prisons and why?<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7">b)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To establish whether he collected money from
one Mr. Langmer, Seth Kwablah under the pretext of soliciting admission for him
through his uncle, Mr. Gabriel Dzimale at the Akatsi College of Education.<o:p></o:p><p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-top:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:
10.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-align:justify;text-indent:
-18.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo7"><sp</main>