General News of Thursday, 22 January 2009

Source: Chronicle

Wereko-Brobbey wants to keep "stolen" propety

... Files Stay of Execution Against Judgement
A former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Dr. Charles Yves Wereko-Brobbey, has filed an application at an Accra Fast Track High Court, to prevent the company from executing the orders of the court, that he surrenders the authority's properties in his possession to his former employers.

The court, presided over by Justice Ofori-Atta, yesterday however gave a-two-month ultimatum to the former VRA boss, to satisfy all conditions for his appeal to commence at the Court of Appeal, failure of which the VRA might go into execution of the court's judgement, pronounced in the latter part of last year.

According to the court, its order was in response to a special circumstance of using the furniture set and the vehicle, which are currently in the possession of the former VRA boss, as canvassed by his counsel in an application for stay of execution, pending appeal at the Court of the Appeal.

Dr. Wereko-Brobbey slugged it out with the VRA in court, claiming an amount in excess of ¢2.2 billion (old cedis), being five years end-of service benefit, after working with the authority for two years (2001 to September 2003), however, he was unsuccessful in his attempt, as the court failed to endorse all his demands, but endorsed some of the counter-claims requested by the Authority, in respect of either returning the furniture set, cutleries and vehicles in his possession, or pay an amount of over GH¢50,000, being the cost of the items.

Arguing the application before the court, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, Counsel for the former VRA boss, noted that there was a strong possibility of his client succeeding on appeal in the face of evidence in their possession.

Requesting the court to grant his application, counsel contended that the judgement of the trial court would be rendered null and void, if his appeal was endorsed at the Court of Appeal, adding that his client would face hardships if the decision of the court goes otherwise.

In swift opposition to the request of the counsel for the former VRA boss, Mr. F. K. Yeboah, Counsel for the Authority, contended that the applicant had no chance of success on Appeal, following clear evidence of revising an earlier arrangement offered to Dr. Wereko-Brobbey on separation from the organisation.

According to counsel, the applicant resigned from the establishment with immediate effect, as there was no notice given the authority.

Counsel further noted that the applicant should have paid six months salary to the company, in lieu of notice of his separation from the company.