ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA LTD vs. ALHASSAN SINARE [2020]DLCA9862

Date	2020-08-29
Suit No.	SUIT NO.: H1/60/2020
Citation No.	[2020]DLCA9862

A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J. A.PRESIDING

B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG J. A.

S. K. A. ASIEDU J. A.

NANIA OWUSU ANKOMAH FOR DEFENDANT/APPELLANT

CYNTHIA MARTINSON FOR PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT

[2020]DLCA9862
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" ><a name="_Hlk35510717">ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI GHANA LTD
<o:p></o:p></a>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>ALHASSAN SINARE<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL, KUMASI]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

SUIT NO.: H1/60/2020&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &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: 29TH OCTOBER, 2020<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>NANIA OWUSU ANKOMAH FOR
DEFENDANT/APPELLANT.<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">

CYNTHIA MARTINSON FOR
PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT.<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>A. M. DOMAKYAAREH (MRS) J.
A.PRESIDING, B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG, J. A., S. K. A. ASIEDU, J. A. <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:
150%;tab-stops:147.0pt;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>POKU-ACHEAMPONG, J.A.:<o:p></o:p>The facts
of this appeal are straightforward. The matter revolves essentially around the
date of birth of the Respondent in the appeal who is Plaintiff in the trial
court.<o:p></o:p>It
is interesting to note that in this country there have often been doubts about
the correct age or date of birth of workers in some public service
organisations, companies and institutions. There are amusing anecdotes about
this phenomenon and there is what has come to be known as the real age of a
person and the workplace age.<o:p></o:p>It
is therefore not surprising that an issue related to the correct age of a
worker otherwise described as a loyal and dedicated worker with an unblemished
record of 30 years’ service in the Appellant company should come up to this
court.<o:p></o:p>The
appeal emanates from a judgment of the Obuasi High court delivered on 21st
March, 2019. In this opinion the Plaintiff in the trial court shall be referred
to simply as the Respondent and the Defendant as the Appellant.<o:p></o:p>Facts:<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent is a former employee of the Appellant a reputable mining company in
Obuasi, Ghana. He was first employed on 18th April 1984 as a General
Mining Hand and rose through the ranks to become a General Foreman until he was
retired on1st February, 2014 by the Appellant under circumstances
that have resulted in this appeal.<o:p></o:p>It
was the policy of the Appellant Company to retire its underground workers at
the age of 55 and this fact is accepted by both parties.<o:p></o:p>As
part of the reorganisation of its business operations the Appellant embarked on
a redundancy exercise which required an audit enquiry into the personal records
of all its employees to determine the benefits to be paid to those to be
affected by the redundancy exercise.<o:p></o:p>Arising
out of this reorganization of the Appellant business operations, between
2013-2014, many of its employees including the Respondent applied to make
changes in their personal history forms or (Personal Record Data) with the
Human Resource Department of the Appellant company.<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent after being served with a letter on his retirement wrote to the
Appellant requesting a rectification of his date of birth and attached a copy
of a Birth Certificate issued at Dunkwa-on-Offin dated 24th April
1965, Exhibit MB4, and his Labour Card.<o:p></o:p>After
a review the Appellant accepted the Respondent’s request for rectification by a
letter dated 15th April, 2014 and effected the necessary changes in
the Respondent’s records.<o:p></o:p>The
audit enquiry on the Respondent’s records raised some doubt about the validity
and genuineness of Exhibit MB4.&nbsp; The Appellant
therefore by a letter dated 22nd October, 2014 (Exhibit MB5)
requested the Respondent to submit the original of Exhibit MB4 for its
inspection/verification.<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent after some delay informed the Appellant per a letter dated 4th
November 2014 (Exhibit MB6) that he could not trace the original of Exhibit
MB4.<o:p></o:p>On
receipt of this letter the Appellant sent a letter dated 19th
November 2014 (Exhibit MB7) to the Births and Deaths Registry asking for an
authentication of the Birth Certificate with Entry No. 114/72 (Exhibit
MB4).&nbsp; Per a letter dated 19th
November, 2014 the Births and Deaths Registry responded that the Birth
Certificate with entry number 114/72, “in respect of Alhassan Sinare purported
to have been issued at Dunkwa-on-Offin registry is not a genuine document
issued by this registry”.&nbsp; The letter was
signed by one John Kweku Sampson a Principal Registration Officer for the
Registrar of Births and Deaths.<o:p></o:p>On
27th November 2014 the Respondent appeared before the Central
Disciplinary Committee of the Appellant, for forging his birth certificate, an
offence contrary to schedule 1 section 11 of the Appellant’s Company’s
Disciplinary Procedures and Code of Conduct, an offence which according to the
Committee Chairman carries a penalty of dismissal.<o:p></o:p>The
Respondent stated during the proceedings of the committee that he was born on
29th April 1965 and that his original birth certificate got missing
and he had therefore obtained anothe</main>