The Director of Finance at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) has proceeded to a Kumasi High Court to stop the Board of the hospital from declaring his position vacant after he was asked to proceed on annual leave.
The plaintiff, Elvis Kusi wants the Human Rights Division of the Kumasi High Court to restrain the management of the hospital from interviewing and employing a new person for the Director of Finance position.
An advertisement published in the Tuesday 6th October 2020 edition of the Daily Guide Newspaper listed job vacancies at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) which included a vacancy for the position of the Director of Finance.
Lawyers for the plaintiff following this obtained an injunction to restrain management of the hospital from bringing in another person for their client’s position.
Even as the court processes begin, a letter sighted by Citi News and signed by Board Chairman of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital requested the Director of Finance to proceed on 36 working days’ annual leave effective Monday, November 2, 2020.
The letter which was the outcome of the 39th meeting of the 5th KATH Board also requested him to handover to one John Owusu, a Deputy Director for Financial Reporting and Expenditure at the hospital.
Lawyers for the plaintiff described the decision by the hospital to advertise their client’s position while he is being asked to proceed on leave as unlawful.
One of the lawyers, Akua Serwaa said: “This is more or less an unlawful procedure they have just taken against one of the Directors of the institution. So we are seeking to injunct them from interviewing and replacing people to take his position. That is what our chamber is seeking to do. And unfortunately, when we filed the injunction, though they are in a notice that there is a procedure pending, they went ahead to ask him to proceed on leave on Monday knowing very well that there is an injunction procedure pending in court and that is not done.”
The lawyers also maintained that their client can still have access to his office and position since the leave directive by the hospital’s management was unlawful.
The lawyers are now seeking the Human Rights Division of the High Court to stop management of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) from going ahead to replace their client while he has been asked to proceed on annual leave.
The Court is expected to hear the case on 5th November 2020.