The trial judge, Lorenda Owusu, awarded the cost to the GOC after hearing submissions from the lawyer of the plaintiff Simon Animley. Mr. Animley said the GOC had filed its statement of defence belatedly after the mandatory 14 days had expired.
The plaintiff filed a motion for judgement in default of defence last month before the GOC acting through its lawyer Peter Zwennes filed its defence statement.
The case is set to take its natural course following the decision today.
Background
A former Project Officer of the Ghana Olympic Committee Erasmus Kwaw sued the GOC for wrongful termination of appointment in late January, 2018.
In a writ of summons issued at an Accra High Court on 26th January, 2018, the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the termination of his plaintiff’s appointment was wrongful or unlawful; damages for wrongful or unlawful termination of employment; payment of 1300USD per diem allowance for a trip to Botswana in 2014 and payment of $2100 per diem allowance for a trip to Glasgow in 2014.
The GOC President Ben Nunoo Mensah was on Friday, 2nd February, 2018 formally served with a writ of summons by a high court bailiff at the Olympic building car park in Accra.
In his statement of claim, Erasmus Kwaw avers that on 17th March, 2017, the President of the defendant in the company of some unknown men barged into his office and verbally assaulted him.
He stated that on or about 28th July, 2018, the said Ben Nunoo Mensah instructed one Nana Mankata to collect the keys to his office and change his door locks.
Erasmus who is also the PRO of the Ghana Athletics Association avers further that he received a letter 24th August, 2017 by the president Ben Nunoo Mensah terminating his appointment with the defendant effective 30th August, 2017.
Erasmus Kwaw has also petitioned the Director of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to re-open investigations into the case of verbal assault he reported separately at the Ministry’s Police Station and the Nima Divisional Command following the attack on him at the GOC office on 17th March, 2017.
This case is expected to be a big test for the GOC as Ben Nunoo Mensah reportedly did not consult the Executive Board when issuing the termination letter to Erasmus Kwaw, in breach of the GOC’s own constitution.
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Source: Graphic Online