By Saio Marrah
The former Head of the Commercial Division at Guarantee Trust Bank (GT Bank), Jacob Paul Koroma, has testified before Justice Komba Kamanda that the bank wrongfully sacked him without following due process.
Koroma, who wants the bank to restore him to his position, pay all his salaries, benefits including leave and other allowances, and compensation for reputational damages, made this testimony at the court No.10 of the High Court of Sierra Leone on Tuesday 9th May 2023.
Koroma is a plaintiff in a case that has as the first defendant the banking institution and the second defendant the Managing Director.
Koroma told the court that from 2016-2018 he served as Regional Manager but that upon a recommendation by an internal audit team, a Disciplinary Committee was set up on 9th September 2021 which then published its report that did not include his (plaintiff) name as part of those to be investigated.
Koroma, who said he was sacked based on the recommendation of the said Disciplinary Committee, claimed he was included amongst those to be investigated after the Managing Director (MD) had verbally attacked him which led to an exchange of words.
Koroma also told the court that he was actively working when the said investigation was ongoing and that the normal procedure of the bank is that someone under investigation should be suspended until after the inquiry.
He also told the court that after the confrontation with the MD, he reported the matter to the Human Resource Manager, Annmarie Thomas but instead later received an email informing him to report to the disciplinary committee.
The plaintiff further told the court that upon his report to the committee, he was accused of granting an unauthorized facility to a customer of the bank.
He said his response was: “I am not aware of such, I have never done so.”
On 30 September the same 2021, he received a dismissal letter, indicating that the disciplinary committee found out his dealings with customers were against the standard of the bank.
On the disciplinary procedure, a document which he read out in court, noted that queries and warnings were to be exhausted before dismissal, but in his case, none of such was done throughout his ten years of service.
Koroma said the bank also flouted the procedure of suspension before the dismissal action.
He also talked about the provision for an appeal, which he said his lawyer did, but the bank did not look into the appeal made.
The plaintiff showed the court an award, with the name “Board of Fame” and he said he was the only staff that won that award.
Elvis Kargbo is the lawyer representing the plaintiff, while Fatmata Foster is representing the bank.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (10/05/23)
