Court summons Gbevlo-Lartey

The Accra Fast Track High Court Monday directed its registry to serve a hearing notice on the National Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col (Rtd) Larry Gbevlo-Lartey, to appear in court on November 15, for the case of the 88 ex-national security operatives whose appointments have been terminated.

The case which was supposed to have started yesterday had to be adjourned because there was no certificate of proof of service on the defendants.

The court, presided over by a Court of Appeal judge, Justice C. Honyenuga, asked counsel for the 88 former security operatives, Captain Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (retd), to do so.

The personnel are seeking a declaration that they are entitled to end-of- service benefits upon the termination of their appointment, which is consistent within the conditions governing their employment as staff of the National Security Secretariat.

The former security operatives, who worked under the Kufuor administration, are also seeking an order compelling the National Security Co-ordinator and the Attorney-General to pay their benefits.

In their statement of claim, the dismissed personnel contended that they were citizens of the country and were fully employed as regular staff of the National I Security Council.

They averred that although they lost their jobs due to the change of the political leadership, the current President acknowledged "his appreciation of their dedicated and loyal service to the state."

According to them, in partial fulfilment of the conditions governing the termination of their appointment, they were each paid three months salary in lieu of notice.

They, therefore, petitioned for the payment of their end-of-service benefits but that was ignored and letters written by their solicitor did not yield any result.

Therefore, they said, unless the court intervened, the defendants would not heed their demands.

But counsel for the National Security Coordinator contended that the three months salary paid to them represented the "full amount due the plaintiffs in case of disengagement between the National Security Council and them".

He said they were, therefore, not entitled to end-of-service benefits as part of their condition of service.