CHARLES AFFRAN vs. SG-SSB LIMITED [2019]DLSC6157

Date	2019-03-21
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/71/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLSC6157

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING)

GBADEGBE JSC

PWAMANG JSC

DORDZIE JSC

KOTEY JSC

GORDON C. AKPADIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.

NII ARDAY WONTUMI FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT.

[2019]DLSC6157
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >CHARLES AFFRAN <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>SG-SSB LIMITED <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME
COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL
APPEAL NO. J4/71/2018&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:&nbsp;21ST
MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>GORDON
C. AKPADIE FOR THE PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING), GBADEGBE
JSC, PWAMANG JSC, DORDZIE JSC, KOTEY JSC,<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>KOTEY, JSC:-<o:p></o:p>This appeal is taken against the judgement of the Court
of Appeal, which judgment reversed a judgment of the trial High Court.<o:p></o:p>By a unanimous decision, the Court of Appeal
allowed in part an appeal filed by the Defendant/Appellant/Respondent
(hereinafter the Defendant) against the decision of the High Court entered in
favour of the Plaintiff/Respondent/Appellant (hereinafter the Plaintiff).<o:p></o:p>Facts<o:p></o:p>A brief background of the events leading to these
proceedings would be necessary for a better appreciation of the issues raised
in this appeal.<o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff was the Deputy Branch Manager of the
Defendant bank’s Tema Fishing Harbour Branch. The Plaintiff was presented with
two transfer request letters from Emefs Construction Limited, a customer of the
Defendant, for the transfer of £32,400 and £82,364 to a customer of Emefs
Construction Limited. The Plaintiff signed against the signatures on the
transfer request letters and forwarded them to the International Business
Centre (IBC) of the Defendant bank which deals with foreign transfers. After
the IBC had completed its processes, it approved the request and duly
transferred the said sums of £32,400 and £82,364 to the named beneficiary.<o:p></o:p>It subsequently transpired that the signature on
the transfer request letters was a forgery and the Defendant bank was unable to
recover the amounts transferred and thereby lost the £114,764.<o:p></o:p>The Defendant bank then charged the plaintiff with
negligence in the verification of the signature on the transfer request letters.
It contended that it was the responsibility of the Plaintiff to verify the
signatures on the transfer request letters with the signatures and mandates in
the Defendant Bank’s Core Banking System (Flexcube), that the Defendant failed
to do this diligently, and that this set in motion the sequence of events that
led to the wrong transfer and loss of the sum of £114,764.<o:p></o:p>The Defendant denied it was his sole responsibility,
as Acting Branch Manager, to verify the signatures on the transfer request
letters. He further contended that he had in fact verified the signatures on
the transfer request letter before stamping and signing the transfer request
letters.<o:p></o:p>After an internal (house) process, the Defendant
bank terminated the employment of the Plaintiff. The Plaintiff sued the
Defendant for wrongful and unlawful termination of unemployment. <o:p></o:p>The Plaintiff per his Writ of Summons and
accompanying Statement of Claim, claimed against the Defendant as follows:<o:p></o:p>(a)&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 Limited.<o:p></o:p>