Expatriate CEO allegedly assaults Ghanaian employee, faces prosecution

• The CEO demanded access to some vital files of the company but the employee prevented him

• The employee has reported the incident to the police

The Ghana Police Service is investigating the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the mining company, BCM Ghana Limited, Paul List, for allegedly beating up, Jonathan Adongo, a Ghanaian employee who has worked for the company for nearly 30 years.

According to a Daily Guide report, List, an Australian married to a Ghanaian woman, is said to have manhandled 62-year-old Adongo, who is the Administrative Manager and Company Secretary of BCM, leaving him with ear, shoulder and hip injuries at about 1 pm on Sunday, June 13.

Adongo claims, his boss had demanded access to some vital files of the company that would aid him to take over the company established with the other shareholder of BCM.

As an Administration Manager and Company Secretary of BCM, he declined to hand over his personal phones and laptop after Paul List attempted to unlawfully confiscate the items.

When List was not getting his way, he assaulted Adongo at the main office of BCM located at Labone, Accra, as he forcibly seized the laptop.

Jonathan Adongo subsequently reported the matter to the Cantonment Police Station on the same day, and he was issued with a medical form to seek treatment.

Paul List also signed a letter to dismiss Adongo on June 23, 2021, claiming he [Adongo] refused to honour an invitation to a ‘disciplinary hearing’ for ‘alleged insubordination’.

Inspector Maxwell Danquah, an officer at the Cantonment Police Station, confirmed Jonathan Adongo had filed a complaint against his employer, Paul List, but the case had been transferred to the Accra Regional Police Command.

The officer explained further, the case was taken from the Cantonment Police after List also filed a ‘counter-assault charge at the Accra Regional Command days after the incident happened and had refused to appear at the Cantonment Police Station on the assault charges brought by Adongo.

Jonathan Adongo stated, he “feels traumatized. The last time I visited the hospital, my blood pressure had shot up and I was put on medication. I feel pains in my hip. I can’t raise my arm beyond a certain level. There was no cut, but I feel pains in my ear as well and find it difficult to sleep at night.”

He explained, he could not honour the company’s invitation to the disciplinary hearing because the case had already been reported to the police and he did not want to interfere with the Police investigations.

Adongo noted he did not feel safe going back to the premises where he was assaulted because the security had been told not to allow him into the building.

Adongo maintains that he cannot withdraw the case and go back to work for the company if Paul List remains as the CEO.

“Either he steps down, and I get back to work, not in the position of an employee but a consultant, or we head to court,” he said.