IGP, AG, MEGHIS headmistress sued over arrest of teacher

The Headmistress of Methodist Girls Senior High School (MEGHIS), Miss Sylvia Isabella Laryea and several others have been dragged to the Koforidua High Court for abusing the right of a teacher of the school during a staff meeting.

The applicant, Christopher Ankou is praying the court for an order directed at the respondents to pay him jointly or severally an amount of Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC200,000) as compensation for breach of his fundamental human rights.

The other respondents in the suit include; Director General of the Ghana Education Service, Inspector General of Police, and Akropong Divisional Crime Officer of police, ASP Peter Duodu.

The rest are Emma Ampomah and Mr. Emmanuel Donkor. Mr. Christopher Ankou is said to be in the forefront demanding accountability and respect for staff of the school from the headmistress. His suit wants the headmistress to account for GHC 30,000 which is an outstanding balance of teachers’ welfare contribution.

The headmistress is alleged to have mentioned in a staff meeting that, the P.T.A had made that deduction contrary to earlier agreements between parents and teachers. With this development, some teachers wrote to the PTA to seek explanation but was revealed that, the PTA had no knowledge of the said deduction.

The standoff is said to have caused the transfer of some teachers ostensibly on grounds of overstaffing. There is suspicion of another scheme to transfer additional nine teachers of which Mr. Ankou is believed to be one of them.

3news.com gathered that, Mr. Ankou was accused of engaging in amorous relationship with some students and was dragged before the Regional Disciplinary Committee of GES, Koforidua.

At the said hearing, Counsel for the teachers, Francis Sosu raised preliminary objection to the entire process, indicating that it is not in accordance with GES Code of Conduct for teachers and due process as established in Articles 23 and 296 of the 1992 constitution.

After an unsuccessful attempt to nail him through the disciplinary measure, Mr. Ankou was arrested during a staff meeting on Friday, 29th July on an allegation of rapping one of his students on October 31, 2015.

Parents of the girl claimed they were informed about the rape incident by the headmistress who incidentally advised to lodge formal complaint with the police which led to the arrest of Mr. Ankou who has been in the service of GES for the last six years.

He was detained and spent the weekend in the Adukrom cells and granted bail on 2nd August 2016.