Victimisation �Staff Of Controller Interdicted For 14 Years Instead Of 6 Months

The cap-30 Pension scheme has waded into the ongoing controversy involving a former employee at the Controller and Accountant General�s department who was wrongfully interdicted for 14 years instead of six months as prescribed by the law. The victim, Wellington Tedeku, who has filed a petition to the National Labour Commission (NLC) is seeking relief from the government for his victimization. His predicament is being worsened by the department�s reluctance to cooperate with NLC meaning the institution is threading on dangerous ground. This was made know at the Justice Apau�s commission of inquiry when the Acting executive secretary of the NLC, Dr. Bernice Welbeck, appeared before the commission to brief it on the level of the petition by the petitioner. She said he was victimized for promotion from 1975 to 1994 but from 1994 to September 15, 2008, he was placed on interdiction for 14 years contrary to a circular by the Controller and Accountant General Department dated September 13, 1992 on human rights abuse. The petitioner, according to the NLC Boss, was employed on Sept 15, 1966, as a messenger with the Controller and Accountant General�s department. �He was employed on Sept 15, 1966, and was promoted to the grade of Clerical Assistant on September 1, 1968. On September 1, 1969, he was promoted to a clerical officer, after completing an eight-week course at the Civil Service Training Centre and after having passed his promotional examination. On April, 1974, he was promoted to the grade of Junior Account Officer.� On the ministry of finance and economic planning�s condemnation of the interdiction and subsequent recommendation to the accountant generals department was for it to refund the 50% of his 14 years monthly salary which was withheld because under the normal circumstances, when one is interdicted, he is placed on half salary. She added that he was transferred without his allotted transportation which now stands at 25, 000. She said though he had retired and there are sufficient evidence to the effect that he had to be paid his Cap 30 pension. Reliefs According to the Ag. executive secretary of NLC, the victim�s reliefs are that, he had pending promotions of being account officer, senior account officer, principal account officer, assistant principal account officer and chief accounts officer. �He is asking for backdated promotion, payment of Cap-30 pension, and refund of Ghc25, 000.00 as transportation claims.� Dr. Welbeck said though they wrote to the controller for the matter to be resolved, after series of correspondence, they replied wanting the victim to provide them with details of his complaint to enable them respond appropriately. Wrongful interdiction Dr. Welbeck said, placingsomeone on interdiction for 14 years was improper, explaining that �My Lord, you can interdict someone for six months, and within the six months, you are supposed to complete all your investigations, and when the person is found culpable, you take him through all the processes, but if not, then you have to reinstate the person to his position, and pay him half of his salary that was withheld during the period of interdiction and you continue with the new salary.� The Ministry of finance together with the petitioners as well as the controller and accountant general�s department had their testimonies adjourned to September 4, 2014.