The First Atlantic Bank which is the second defendant in a suit filed by a former National Service personnel against one of its directors has asked an Accra High Court to exclude its name from the case.
Deborah Seyram Adablah in her suit against Ernest Kwasi Nimako also accused the bank of condoning the molestation of its female employees and luring them into inappropriate relationships.
According to the plaintiff, Mr Nimako has failed to comply with the terms of a sexual relationship and is therefore asking the High Court to grant her various reliefs including the enforcement of the supposed agreements.
However, according to a report by 3news.com sighted by GhanaWeb, the First Atlantic Bank in an application dated Tuesday, January 24, 2023, has asked the court to review the writ issued by the court to exclude its name.
The Bank is, in essence, asking that paragraphs 7,8,9,10,11,31,32,33,34,36 and 37 of the writ which accused the bank of watching on for female workers to be harassed sexually by its senior male officers be expunged.
The court has adjourned to Thursday, February 16, 2023, for the application to be moved and the case be heard.
Background:
A former female National Service Person has sued the First Atlantic Bank and its Chief Financial Officer, Ernest Kwasi Nimako, over sexual harassment.
The plaintiff, Deborah Seyram Adablah, stated in her writ of summons that during her National Service at the bank, she entered into a ‘parlor relationship’ as a result of persistent sexual harassment and abuse by Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
According to her, Ernest Kwasi Nimako was her superior in the capacity of the Chief Financial Officer at the bank.
Hence, failure on her part to accept Mr. Nimako's sexual demands meant her days at the bank were going to be miserable.
In her writ, she also alleged that virtually every senior manager has a girlfriend in the bank, and they change the ladies at their will, to the knowledge of the managers of the bank.
She reiterated that failure on the part of the female staff to give in to their demands would mean they would be bullied by their bosses.
Miss Adablah narrated that she was convinced by Ernest Kwasi Nimako not to take up a contract with the bank after he assured her of "a lump sum of working capital, a car, paying her accommodation for 3 years; GHC3000 a month, a promise to marry her after divorcing his wife, and a ring, among others."
The plaintiff alleges Ernest Kwasi Nimako stopped paying her rent and monthly allowance after they had some differences.
She is therefore seeking an order from the court to direct Ernest Kwasi Nimako to transfer the title of car no GC 7899-21 into her name.
She is also seeking a refund of the cost of repairs of over GHC10,000, which he promised to refund but failed to do.
She also wants Ernest Nimako to pay a lump sum of money to enable her to start a business to take care of herself, as agreed by her and the defendant, among others.
First Atlantic Bank is yet to respond to these allegations.
GA/FNOQ