SAMUEL DUAH (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT) vs. ASHANTI GOLDFIELDS LTD. (DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT) [2019]DLCA7802

SAMUEL DUAH (PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT) vs. ASHANTI GOLDFIELDS LTD. (DEFEND... [2019]DLCA7802

Date	2019-05-28
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO.: H1/16/2017
Citation No.	[2019]DLCA7802

OWUSU J.A. (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J.A.

WELBOURNE J.A.

OSCAR KOFI GYIMAH FOR DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

[2019]DLCA7802
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SAMUEL DUAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;
line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,serif;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;
mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p>ASHANTI
GOLDFIELDS LTD.<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT
OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<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">

CIVIL
APPEAL NO.: H1/16/2017&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; &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: 28TH
MAY, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<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">

OSCAR
KOFI GYIMAH FOR DEFENDANT/ APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

OWUSU
J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J.A., WELBOURNE J.A.<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;
padding:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">

</div>MARIAMA
OWUSU, J.A.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>On
18th December, 2014, the High Court, Kumasi, gave judgment for
plaintiff against defendant.<o:p></o:p>In
his judgment, the trial Judge held among other things as follows:<o:p></o:p>“The conduct of Ocran
and the team left much to be desired and I am inclined to reason that the
action against the plaintiff was orchestrated and arranged to implicate him so
as to get rid of him from defendant company.&nbsp;
For these reasons I am opined that the Committee that investigated the
allegation against him did not appreciate fully the nature of the evidence
available to it when it recommended the dismissal of the plaintiff for stealing
when evidence did not establish beyond reasonable doubt that he stole the gold
product allegedly found in his jacket retrieved from kiosk close to the barrier
he manned.<o:p></o:p>I however agree with
counsel for the defendant that the Committee did not breach any of the rules of
natural justice as by the evidence of plaintiff, he was given the opportunity
to be heard in his case and to cross-examine witnesses who appeared and
testified against him.<o:p></o:p>In these
circumstances, I do hold that the dismissal of plaintiff was unlawful.&nbsp; Having declared his dismissal unlawful, I
will now turn to the two reliefs he sought.&nbsp;
The first was damages for unlawful dismissal and the second had to do
with damages for consequential loss, whatever that means…”<o:p></o:p>The
trial court then awarded plaintiff damages as follows:<o:p></o:p>“considering his
other benefits arising from this contract of employment, I hereby award him an
enhanced amount of Gh¢15,000.00 as adequate compensation for his unlawful
dismissal.<o:p></o:p>I allow cost of
Gh¢5,000.00 for him against the defendant.”<o:p></o:p>Dissatisfied
with the decision of the High Court, the defendant appealed to this court on
the following grounds: <o:p></o:p>a.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The
judgment was manifestly against the weight of evidence adduced during the trial
of the case.<o:p></o:p>b.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;