Sêxual Harassment Case: Court Orders Registrar To Take Custody Of Vehicle In Dispute

The High Court in Accra has ordered the Registrar of the Court, Law Court Complex, to take custody of the vehicle at the centre of dispute in the case in which Deborah Seyram Adablah has sued a banker, Ernest Nimako for sexual harassment.

The former National Service person per her suit is claiming among other things a vehicle with registration No. GC 7899- 21 l, bought for her by Mr. Nimako, the first defendant in the case.

In court on Tuesday, May 16, the Court (General Jurisdiction) presided over by Justice Olivia Obeng Owusu while ruling on an application filed by Mr. Nimako said the vehicle in dispute should be surrendered to the Registrar of the High Court for preservation until the final determination of the case.

To this end, the court also ordered Mr Nimako, the Defendant (applicant) to submit all documents in relation to the said vehicle to the Registrar.

She claims Mr Nimako registered the said vehicle he bought for her in his name and that contrary to their agreement, took back the GH¢120,000 Honda Civic.

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, who was in court reports that the said vehicle was driven to court by the Plaintiff, (Adablah).

But, she would have to surrender it to the Registrar of the Court after today following the court’s orders.

No more publication

Justice Obeng Owusu has also ordered both the Plaintiff (Adablah) and the 1st Defendant (Ernest Nimako) to desist from any publication on the matter on both social and traditional media.

This was after Mr. Nimako through his lawyers filed a motion praying the court to restrain Adablah from tarnishing his image with her continuous publications on TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms.

But in her affidavit in opposition to the allegations, Adablah, through her lawyers has denied those claims and said those publications were done before the action in court was commenced.

Ruling on the application, the court said both parties are restrained from a publication that has the tendency of prejudicing matter until the final determination of the case.

“Both parties are prohibited from posting any videos, pictures and materials on social media and traditional media which has the tendency to prejudice the matter before the court until the final determination of the case,” the court ordered.

Background

Adablah who is the plaintiff has filed a writ alleging sexual harassment against Ernest Kwesi Nimako, Director of Finance and the bank.

Following the action, the Bank has requested that its name be withdrawn from the lawsuit filed by the former NSS worker.

In that application dated January 24, this year, the Bank requested that seven paragraphs of the writ be dismissed “on the ground that they disclose no reasonable cause of action against the applicant”.

It contends that Paragraphs 7,8,9,10,11,31,32,33,34,36 and 37 which were requested to be excluded comprise portions of the writ that accuse the bank of watching on for female workers being harassed sexually by senior male officers of the bank.

The substantive case alleging sexual harassment would be dealt with after this preliminary application.

Ms. Adablah sued Mr. Nimako in January 2023, accusing him of breaching a contract to buy her a car, pay for her accommodation for three years, give her a monthly stipend of GH¢3,000, marry her after divorcing his wife and also give her a lump sum to start a business.

She claims Mr Nimako registered a car he bought for her in his name and that contrary to their agreement, took back the GH¢120,000 Honda Civic after she had used it for only a year.

She said the defendant, who was her boss at the bank, also paid only a year’s rent for her contrary to their agreement.

Ms Adablah also accused Mr Nimako of abuse, sexual harassment, maltreatment, exploitation as well as lowering her reputation in the eyes of society.

She is praying the court to compel Mr. Nimako to make good on his promises.