Former security personnel seek legal redress

Accra Oct. 28, GNA - Eighty-eight former national security personnel under the Kufuor administration whose appointment have been terminated on Thursday besieged the Fast Track High Court to seek redress.

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 court has adjourned the case to November 8.

The former security operatives are also seeking an order compelling the National Security Co-ordinator and the Attorney General (the defendants), to pay their benefits.

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

The personnel said unless the court intervened, the defendants would not heed to their demands.

In the defence put in by the solicitor of the National Security Co-ordinator, he 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 the plaintiffs. The council denied that the ex- personnel were entitled to an end of service benefits as part of their condition of service.