Mr. Abdul Turay, a plaintiff and a former Public Relations Officer at the Sierra Leone Airport Authority (SLAA) sued the Sierra Leone Airport Authority over his unlawful dismissal at the Sierra Leone Airports Authority.
Testifying in court before Hon. Justice John Bosco Alieu at the High Court No.1 in Freetown is the Head of Administration Mr. Tommy Margao.
The Prosecution Witness said he knows the plaintiff as a former staff at the Sierra Leone Airports Authority and that he was the head of the Public Relations Department.
He said it is a department responsible for relating with public events and current happening of the Sierra Leone Airport Authority.
He continued that the plaintiff brought the Airport to court on the grounds that he was wrongfully dismissed.
He went on to say that the Management of the Airport was duly informed about Mr. Abdul K Turay’s Facebook Publication which he said was highly against the authority`s practices.
He said as a management they decided to probe into his account and found derogatory pictures that was very bad to the image of the first gentleman of the state His Excellency Julius Maada Bio and his wife First Lady Madam Fatima Maada Bio and to the image of the Airport Authority.
He said immediately they summoned Mr Turay and put it to him directly about his Act and told him it was against the Authority’s code of practice and said Mr. Turay responded that he has a friend by the name of Gibril Bangura whom he referred to as the one responsible for this.
Mr. Margao continued that immediately for that reason a 3 Man Committee was set up to investigate the matter officially.
Exhibit A-8 an interdiction that was addressed to the plaintiff Mr. Turay of the 3Man Committee setup to investigate him was headed by Mr. Tommy Margao being the Head and Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Bobson Kargbo head of Commercial and Mr. David Roy Maculey Chief Internal Auditor.
According to Mr. Tommy Margao, Mr. Turay is not a politician and has nothing to do with politics as a staff of the Airport nor is he allowed to share derogatory images or comments against the President as according to him section 32 (2) of the code of conduct of discipline forbids that.
Exhibit A31-38 terms and conditions of Service was another document given to the witness which he read aloud in court the terms and conditions of service of the Airport Authority.
He was asked during cross examination by Barrister Elvis Kargbo who appoints board chairman and board members of which he responded to that it was the Head of State (the President) that appoints board chairman and board members to Monitor the activities of the Authority and that Mr. Abdul Turay’s action was giving the Authority a bad image to the public and the head of state as he misinterpreted the code of conduct of the Authorities hence his dismissal due to his professional Misconduct.
The Witness was also given Exhibit D7 shows the Facebook Account Publication of Mr. Turay with the captioned words Maada Bio don tiff again na Salone on Mr Turay’s Facebook page.
And went on to post another with the caption This dog can’t even afford an apartment two years ago now he is going to Dubai on wedding vacation at the expense of the tax payer’s money with the headline caption Gibril Bangura is with Mr. Abdul K Turay.
The matter has been adjourned to the 10th May 2022 for further witness submission and hearing.
The plaintiff was represented by Isaac John whilst the Defense Counsel Mr. Elvis Kargbo for the Sierra Leone Airport Authority.
