Asst. Head of Kumasi SHS sues headmaster and GES over sodomy accusations

Embattled Assistant Headmaster of the Kumasi High School who is under investigation for alleged claims of sodomy in the school, has sued the Ghana Education Service, GES, and the Headmaster of the School, Bernard Hall Baidoo.

The applicant, George Amponsah-Duodu through his lawyers said the authorities failed to give him a fair hearing during the investigation process, making his suspension one without basis, and is therefore praying the court quashes the report put forward by the investigation committee.

Last month, four students of the all-male school leveled sodomy allegations against the assistant headmaster.
After preliminary investigations, Mr. Amponsah-Duodu was subsequently suspended by the Ashanti Regional Education Directorate over the allegations to allow a full scale probe to be conducted into the matter without any interference.

But in a writ cited by citinewsroom.com, lawyers for the plaintiff argued that the committee that looked into the matter did not comply with the rules of natural justice.

“That the committee deliberately failed, refused and neglected to produce my accuser before the committee for me to cross-examine him on the allegation made against me.”

“That when the 2nd Respondent (The Headmaster) was questioned whether I was given an opportunity to meet and to cross-examine my accuser on the allegation, the 2nd Respondent answered in the negative.”

Reliefs sought by the plaintiff

In their four reliefs, the plaintiff together with his lawyers are humbly praying the following:

That investigative report of the 2nd Respondent’s committee be brought to this Honourable Court to be quashed.

An order of injunction at the Respondents, their privies, assigns, agents, servants or anyone claiming through or purporting to act on the authority of the Respondents from continuing any disciplinary investigation involving the Applicant until the matters in this dispute are determined by this Honourable Court.

Describing the allegations as baseless, Mr. Amponsah-Duodo insisted that he has not had any contact with the alleged victim.

He argued that the committee looking into the allegations has been “necessitated merely by hearsay or some assertion without any concrete documentary or evidential proof.”

But, a letter from the head of the Ghana Education Service’s (GES) legal unit sighted by Citi News, indicated that during investigations, the Assistant Headmaster’s name was cited by a final year student of the school identified as Lucien Dankwa, as having introduced him to homosexuality.

But lawyers for the accused earlier maintained that “it is our client’s submission that at no point in time in his professional career has he ever had any form of physical contact with the said students. Our client intimates that he is not homosexual and has been married for the past 18 years with four children.”

Mr. Amponsah-Duodo’s lawyers had also urged the committee investigating the matter to “compel Lucien Dankwa to provide proof of the allegation of sexual misconduct or homosexual act if any.”

Source: citinewsroom