High court impounds GES vehicles

Kumasi, May 26, GNA - A Kumasi High Court last Friday impounded three vehicles of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for contempt. The vehicles are a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to the Ashanti Regional Education Service and two Mitsubishi Pick-ups belonging to the Atwima district education and Kumasi Metropolitan Education offices respectively.

It followed the refusal of the GES to comply with the court's order to re-instate and pay in full the salaries of 11 teachers belonging to the Jehovah Witness sect dismissed in 1987 by the then PNDC Secretary for Atwima, Warrant Officer Class II Kwaku Afoakwa-Duah. The teachers were alleged to have refused to salute the national flag, refused to sing the national anthem and also refused to recite the national pledge.

The teachers are Yaa Asare-Sarkodie, Paul Kwame Ampofo, Sophia Serwaa Donkor, Theresa Mensah, Edward Addai, Leeford Kwaku Duah and Mrs Christiana Kyei now deceased.

The rest are Kwasi Manu, Andrew Jeah Haizel, Doris Osei and A.K. Dwumah.

The teachers filed a writ at the High Court against their dismissal and on January 22, 1999, the court ruled in their favour and asked the GES to reinstate them and pay their salaries from 1987 and cost of 1.1 million cedis awarded against GES.

However, the GES refused to comply with the court's order and Mr Asiedu Basoah, counsel for the dismissed teachers petitioned the High Court, drawing its attention to the contempt committed by the GES. The court therefore ordered the seizure of 12 vehicles belonging to the GES out of which only three have so far been impounded. 26 May 2004