ALEX ONUMAH COLEMAN AND DAVID KOOMSON VS. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD , EMMANUEL ATSIAFU AND 3 ORS vs. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD, ISAAC KONGETEY AND ISAAC BOADU vs. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD [2021]DLSC10161

ALEX ONUMAH COLEMAN AND DAVID KOOMSON VS. NEWMONT GHANA GOLD , EMMANUEL ATSIAFU... [2021]DLSC10161

Date	2021-03-10
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEALNO. J4/67/2019
Citation No.	[2021]DLSC10161

BAFFOE-BONNIE JSC (PRESIDING)

APPAU JSC

DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC

HONYENUGA JSC

AMADU JSC

EMMANUEL BRIGHT OTOKOH FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS

MATILDA IDUN-DONKOR FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2021]DLSC10161
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ALEX ONUMAH COLEMAN
AND DAVID KOOMSON<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>VS.<o:p></o:p>NEWMONT GHANA GOLD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>EMMANUEL ATSIAFU AND 3 ORS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NEWMONT GHANA GOLD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>ISAAC KONGETEY AND ISAAC BOADU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>NEWMONT GHANA GOLD<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>[SUPREME COURT, ACCRA]<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

CIVIL
APPEALNO. J4/67/2019&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: 10TH
MARCH, 2021<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>EMMANUEL BRIGHT OTOKOH FOR THE PLAINTIFFS/RESPONDENTS/APPELLANTS.<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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

MATILDA IDUN-DONKOR FOR THE DEFENDANT/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT. <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;<o:p></o:p>BAFFOE-BONNIE
JSC (PRESIDING), APPAU JSC, DORDZIE (MRS.) JSC, HONYENUGA JSC, AMADU JSC<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 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" align="center" style="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>&nbsp;HONYENUGA, JSC:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>This is an
appeal from the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Kumasi dated the 24th
day of October, 2017 reversing the decision of the High Court, Sunyani, dated 18th
December, 2015.&nbsp; By their amended Writs
and Statement of claim filed in the High Court, on the 21st January
and 18th February 2011 respectively, the
Plaintiffs/Respondents/Appellants who were nine former employees of the
Defendants/Appellant/Respondent’s mining company instituted three suits against
the Defendant/Appellant/Respondent claiming a declaration that their
interdiction and subsequent dismissals was wrong in law, an order for their
reinstating and all monies due to them from the period of interdiction and
summary dismissal paid to them with interest or in the alternative general
damages for wrongful dismissal.&nbsp; The
three suits were consolidated and tied together by the High Court which gave
judgment in favour of the Plaintiffs/Respondents/Appellants.&nbsp; In this appeal, the Plaintiffs/Respondents/Appellants
would simply be referred to as the Appellants and the
Defendant/Appellant/Respondent referred to as the Respondent.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;&nbsp;BACKGROUND<o:p></o:p>The brief
facts of this appeal are that the appellants were employed by the respondent in
various capacities as technician, welder, grinding operator, control room
operator among others.&nbsp; Their employment
was governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) dated the 1st
day of August. 2007 between the respondent and the Ghana Mineworkers Union of
TUC tendered as Exhibit D.&nbsp; Sometime in
2009, the respondent terminated the appointments of the appellants based on
adverse findings of a disciplinary committee&nbsp;
constituted by the respondent which found the appellants liable for the
theft of some gold bearing materials and or conspiring with others in that
regard.&nbsp; Their interdiction letters also
contained references to other kinds of misconduct including unauthorized
removal of gold bearing material.&nbsp; Prior
to the termination of their employment, the appellants were given a hearing
before the disciplinary committee to which written statements were presented,
some of which contained denials and admissions which implicated others.&nbsp; While the appellants contended that the
admissions were obtained under duress, the respondent maintained that they were
voluntarily obtained.&nbsp; The appellants
then instituted their various suits claiming the reliefs (supra).<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;THE APPELLANTS’ CASE <o</main>