Court unlikely to reinstate KOSSA President - Lawyer

Legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, says the President of the Korle-Bu Senior Staff Association (KOSSA), Charles Ofei Palm, may not succeed in getting the courts to reinstate him.

He argued the Human Rights Court is unlikely to nullify Mr Palm's interdiction, noting the court would at best award him financial compensation.

Mr. Ofei Palm who was interdicted by the Hospital for alleged defamatory comments, is praying the court to nullify his interdiction and as well as an injunction to stop the management from any further inquiry into the matter.

But lawyer martin Kpebu told 3FM says that court is unlikely to grant the reliefs being sought except monetary compensation.

“If a case of harassment is made, the remedy is to get damages; that is, ask for financial compensation or an injunction to prevent further harassment.

But in a regular court, reinstatement is not a regular or dominant relief that a court will grant”, he said

According to him, the law allows for a dismissal of an employee, if the employer is not satisfied with the services of the employee.

"If at any point in time the employer is no more satisfied with the services of an employee, they can terminate the contract, depending on the contract.

Where the termination is unlawful, the employee is paid compensation. The law generally does not make the employer-employee relationship, a do or die affair," he averred.

The interdiction of Mr Palm raised tension between KOSSA and the management of the Korle-Bu and the association which has accused the board and management of mismanagement.

His salary has since been cut by 50 per cent, as well as a cut in his allowance. He is expected to hand over all property of the hospital with immediate effect from March 30.

But this has raised tensions between KOSSA and the management of the and board of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital who the association has accused of mismanagement.