Ghana’s Supreme Court has stayed the execution of a Court of Appeal judgment directing the promotion of 40 police officers who sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, over their alleged unfair exclusion from a special promotion programme.
The latest ruling temporarily suspends the implementation of the promotion order while the Supreme Court considers an appeal filed by the IGP challenging the Court of Appeal’s decision.
The Court of Appeal had overturned an earlier ruling by the High Court in Kumasi, which dismissed the officers’ case, and ordered the police authorities to effect their promotions.
Dispute Over Promotion of 40 Ghana Police Officers
The legal battle stems from a special promotion arrangement introduced by the Police Management Board in 2021. Under the arrangement, police officers enlisted between December 2008 and 2020 who had obtained first degrees were eligible for promotion under an amnesty programme.
The 40 officers claimed they were unfairly excluded from the exercise despite meeting the relevant requirements.
According to their case, some of their colleagues, including officers junior to them, benefited from the promotion programme, while they were denied advancement from Chief Inspectors to Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASPs).
The officers also pointed to promotions involving other ranks, including Corporal to Sergeant, Sergeant to Inspector, and Inspector to Chief Inspector, arguing that their exclusion from the next promotion level was unjustified.
They maintained that the police administration should have extended the same promotion opportunities to eligible officers in comparable circumstances.
High Court and Court of Appeal Deliver Conflicting Decisions
Dissatisfied with their exclusion, the 40 police officers sued the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Management Board at the High Court in Kumasi.
They sought an order compelling the police authorities to promote them in accordance with the special promotion arrangement.
However, the High Court dismissed their case, prompting the officers to appeal the decision.
The Court of Appeal subsequently overturned the High Court’s ruling and directed that the promotions be carried out.
The appellate court’s judgment represented a significant development in the dispute, as it favoured the officers’ request for promotion.
IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno Takes Case to Supreme Court
Following the Court of Appeal’s decision, IGP Christian Tetteh Yohuno challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court.
The police chief also filed an application seeking a stay of execution to prevent the promotion order from being implemented while the appeal remained pending.
The Supreme Court considered the application and granted the requested stay, temporarily halting the enforcement of the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
A five-member panel presided over by Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang issued the ruling.
Supreme Court Explains Decision to Halt Police Promotions
In granting the IGP’s application, the Supreme Court considered that the affected officers could be compensated if the appeal ultimately failed.
The decision means that the Court of Appeal’s order directing the promotion of the 40 officers will not be enforced while the Supreme Court determines the substantive appeal.
The latest ruling does not finally resolve the dispute over the officers’ eligibility for promotion. Instead, it preserves the position pending the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings.
The case highlights continuing legal questions surrounding police promotions, administrative fairness and the implementation of personnel policies within the Ghana Police Service.
Source: newsthemegh.com