KATH whistleblower files order at High Court to reverse his dismissal
An accounts officer who was sacked by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Board for accusing Management of misapplication of Covid-19 funds, has challenged his dismissal in court.
Mr. Awuni Akyireba has filed an order of Certiorari at the High Court in Kumasi seeking to quash the decision taken by KATH on December 20, last year.
A copy of the writ sighted by JoyNews indicated that Mr. Akyireba’s lawyers are seeking “an order of Judicial Review in the nature of Certiorari to quash the decision of the Governing Board of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi dated December, 20, 2021”
The Hospital dismissed Awuni Akyireba for what the Board described in a letter to him, as “breach of protocols and peddling falsehood against Management.”
KATH further stated that Mr. Akyireba’s decision to go to the media with the information he had gathered instead of the hospital’s Management, was a breach of KATH’s disciplinary code, Section 13:02 xiii (misconduct).
In the dismissal letter, it was revealed that Mr. Akyireba failed to present himself before the Disciplinary Committee to provide further evidence.
“For avoiding physical service of invitation to appear before the Disciplinary Committee and eventually failing/ refusing to appear despite glaring evidence that you saw the invitation, you commit a major offence under the Code.”
This thus gave reason for the Committee to conclude that “you are guilty of all the offences charged and therefore renders you liable for summary dismissal (Section 13:02 xxix-misconduct).”
But in an interview with the media, Awuni Akyireba dismissed claims that he evaded the hospital’s Disciplinary Committee. According to him, he was on leave at the time the Committee met.
Background
Awuni Akyireba, a Chartered Forensic Accountant at KATH in November, 2021 accused CEO and Medical Director of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Oheneba Owusu-Danso, and Prof Baafour Kofi Opoku of abusing their public office.
According to Mr. Akyireba, the duo had procured two new Toyota Camry vehicles at the cost of $116,000, which were allegedly obtained with Covid-19 donations by a businessman and footballer.
He said the vehicles were bought at a time when the Hospital is in a dire economic situation.
He revealed that all of the Hospital’s escalators had broken down except those in the B block, and some staff bonuses had also not been paid.
“We were told in the performance review by the Chief Executive that all directorates of the hospital have incurred losses. Cumulative losses of these directorates according to him was in the region of GH¢6.2 million.
“If we were in such a difficulty, where else did they get the money to buy those vehicles if not the Covid-19 funds?” he asked.
He is also petitioned CHRAJ to probe the Medical Director, Prof. Baafour Kofi Opoku, over abuse of public office for allowing his wife to drive and crash one of these new vehicles.
Speaking to LuvNews, Mr. Akyireba said he’s willing to support a CHRAJ investigation with evidence to prove these vehicles were bought with Covid-19 donations to the Hospital.
“I’m offering my head on the chopping block; they can chop my head for this. The Medical Director gave our official vehicle, one of the luxurious vehicles, to his wife and the wife got an accident with it. I feel that constitutes an abuse of public office, it also constitutes a betrayal of the trust of the public,” he said.
However, lawyers for the KATH CEO in a response to reports in some radio stations and newspapers said the allegations were untrue.
Source: Ghana News
