Albert Frederic Alexandra, an accountant of MFH Group, on 3 September
2013, testified at the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal before Chairman Jobarteh on
behalf of his company.
Mr Alexandra told the tribunal he lives at Pipeline and knows the plaintiff, Ebrima Touray, who sued MFH Group at the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal for wrongful termination.
He adduced that the plaintiff was working under him and was a debt collector, adding that the plaintiff was taking stock and going for price changing.
He posited that the plaintiff would go to their shops to collect pay-in receipts, further stating that anytime cash was made to the bank, one would fill a form which is the pay-in slip.
Mr Alexandra testified that a pay-in slip certifies that the money collected has been paid into the bank.
The person who would pay money into the bank would take the pay-in slip to their head office and deduct or indicate in the debtor’s ledger the payment made to the bank, he explained.
He stated that it would not be part of their policy if the accountant collects money, adding that there is a cashier who works from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Mr Alexandra further testified that after 4.30 p.m., the cashier would put the money in a safe, further stating that they have a system for collecting cash or cheque.
He said they were told by the chief accountant not to use Tippex but to cancel on top when they wanted to alter an entry, adding that if Tippex is used, one loses memory of what is entered.
He was given a pay-in slip, he posited, adding that the transaction on it was handwritten, and that another pay-in slip with an unaltered date from a bank was given to him.
Mr Alexandra told the tribunal their staff should pay cash to the cashier as their policy, and it would not be prudent to keep it without giving it to the cashier, adding that it would not be safe if it is kept in a drawer.
At this juncture, the case was adjourned till 9 September 2013.
In another development, a Sierra Leonean national, James Kanu, was convicted of stealing from a motor vehicle by Magistrate Jobarteh of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, following his plea of guilt.
In his mitigation, he told the court he had an accident and spent all his money for treatment, adding that he was telephoned that his father had passed away in Sierra Leone.
He begged the court to temper justice with mercy.
Prosecutor 335 Nying rose and told the court that the convict was not a first-time offender, adding that he committed a similar offence and was brought before Magistrate Tabally at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, and was also convicted.
After listening to his mitigation, Magistrate Jobarteh said the court was not convinced by the plea of mitigation of the convict.
He sentenced him to three months in prison, commencing from the day he was remanded.
The case of the Gambia Teachers’ Union and that of Laico Atlantic Hotel were adjourned till 25 September 2013, after they were read out in court.
When the cases were called, Lawyer Moses Richard, who was holding brief for Kebba Sanyang, the defence counsel in both cases, told the Kanifing Industrial Tribunal that Kebba Sanyang was indisposed, and applied for an adjournment.
