ISAAC ALORMENU vs. GHANA COCOA BOARD [2023]DLSC15000

Date	2023-02-08
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO. J4/86/2022
Citation No.	[2023]DLSC15000

DOTSE JSC (PRESIDING)

OWUSU (MS.) JSC

LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC

PROF. MENSA-BONSU (MRS.) JSC

KULENDI JSC

GEORGE E. F. LAING ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT.

ERIC DELANYO ALIFO ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT

[2023]DLSC15000
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ISAAC
ALORMENU<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p><a name="_heading=h.gjdgxs"></a>GHANA COCOA BOARD <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/APPELLANT) <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 APPEAL NO. J4/86/2022&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: 8TH&nbsp;FEBRUARY 2023&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL <o:p></o:p>GEORGE E. F. LAING
ESQ. FOR THE DEFENDANT/RESPONDENT/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: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:
justify;line-height:normal;tab-stops:82.3pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">ERIC DELANYO ALIFO ESQ. FOR THE PLAINTIFF/APPELLANT/RESPONDENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>DOTSE
JSC (PRESIDING), OWUSU (MS.) JSC, LOVELACE-JOHNSON (MS.) JSC, PROF. MENSA-BONSU
(MRS.) JSC, KULENDI JSC<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: black; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: black; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

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

</div>&nbsp;PROF MENSA-BONSU (MRS.)
JSC:-<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;“Not all that tempts the wandering eyes and heedless hearts, is lawful
prize; <o:p></o:p>Nor all that glisters gold.<o:p></o:p>&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; Thomas
Gray.<o:p></o:p>Introduction<o:p></o:p>This is an appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal that arose
out of disciplinary proceedings undertaken in defendant company on account of
illicit monies received officials from a contractor on a project.&nbsp; . What transpired evokes images of the age-old
conundrum, “If the watchman steals, who shall watch the watchman?”<o:p></o:p>Facts and background<o:p></o:p>The plaintiff/respondent was employed by
defendant/appellant (hereinafter Plaintiff and Defendant respectively), as an
Accounts Clerk Grade II in 1995. He rose through the ranks and was promoted in
2010 to Deputy Accounts Manager with approval of the Board of Directors. On 13th
October, 2014, he was promoted to Accounts Manager and transferred from Cocoa
Health and Extension Division (CHED) to Seed Production Unit (SPU) (also known
as Seed Production Division (SPD)). In the letter granting him promotion from
Deputy Accounts Manager and also Accounts Manager and signed by the Chief
Executive, it was clearly stated that Terms and Conditions applicable to
Managers would apply to him.<o:p></o:p>Sometime in 2014 the Chief Executive of Defendant
Company granted approval for the cultivation of fifty (50) million hydride
cocoa seedlings to be raised. This was to be at a total projected cost of
GH¢3,000,000.00 for top soil, and&nbsp;&nbsp; GH¢450,000.00
for fuel to convey the top soil to the nursery sites at defendant’s Cocoa
Stations. The Executive Director of the SPD was authorized to request for funds
to procure the needed materials for the project to allow it to proceed
speedily. Subsequently the Management of SPD put in a request for fifty (50)
percent of the total amount of GH¢3,450,000 to be released. Therefore an amount
of GH¢1,725,000.00 representing GH¢1,500,000 for top soil and GH¢125,000 for
fuel was released.<o:p></o:p>The Accounts Manager, (i.e. plaintiff), who had
responsibility for procurement, was asked to find contractors for the project.
He contacted&nbsp; one Mr. Edward Opare, who
had previously supplied goods to the company, to put in a bid for the job. He
communicated to him that the quotations should reflect the fixed maximum rate
of Ghc 300 already approved by Cocoa Board; and also requested to “mobilise”
other contractors to put in bids for the exercise. He brought in another
contractor,&nbsp; Madam Theresa Adanvor to
participate in the bidding process. <o:p></o:p>As a result of this request, Mr. Opare submitted
quotations, ostensibly for ten (10) companies; and Madam Adanvor submitted for
three (3). All the quotations were for the same maximum amount of Ghc 300. As
the evidence showed, the two contractors merely fronted for the other
companies, because some of them did not exist, or only existed only in name.
Others were real companies, but their names had merely been used because their
Directors and Managers disclaimed any knowledge of the bids, and were not aware
that they had been awarded any contract or that money had been lodged in their
account. <o:p></o:p>