Police Ordered To Pay Egala ?200 million

The Ghana Police Service has been ordered to pay Dr Issah Egala, one time Director of Medical Services at the Police Hospital in Accra, over ?200 million for among other things, wrongful detention and dismissal. This follows a petition Dr Egala sent to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in 1996.

On May 20, 1989, the then Assistant Director of the Bureau of National Investigations, Peter Nanfuri went to Dr Egala?s residence to invite him for questioning.

Mr Nanfuri asked him a few questions and later told him he was going to be detained at the BNI for six months.

Six months later, Nanfuri called to tell him that he had been asked by the then Chairman of the PNDC, Flt Lt Jerry Rawlings to release him.

Dr Egala petitioned CHRAJ in 1996 and on January 30, this year, it ordered the Ghana Police Service to pay Dr Egala various sums of money totaling ?200 million. In his petition, Dr Egala claimed three reliefs against the Police Service.

They were ? payment of his salary and benefits from May 1989; clarification of his status with the Ghana Police Service and reinstatement or proper retirement with full benefits and pension.

The Police Service in its written response in June 1996, stated that Dr Egala was taken into custody by the BNI on May 20, 1989 and released in November.

He was dismissed on the same day through a radio announcement. The Police Service revealed that there was nothing on record to indicate the grounds for Dr Egala?s dismissal.

CHRAJ awarded Dr Egala, 36 months salary as at the time of the defacto removal as the measure of damages for wrong dismissal. The salary to be paid, should be based on the present value of that amount, using inflation rates published by the Bank of Ghana for the relevant period.

The 36 months salary should be in addition to all allowances, increments, value of earned leave and entitlements, all to be calculated with interest.

CHRAJ said Dr Egala is entitled to payment of any gratuity and full retiring benefits with interest at the current rate as if he had retired voluntarily from the service.

The retirement package payable to Dr Egala should be computed at the current level to a Commissioner of Police, a position he would have risen to, but for his unlawful removal.