No decision on Otto Sam appeal – Government

Government has not yet decided if it will appeal the High Court ruling that the transfer of former school principal Otto Sam to the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) back in 2010 was illegal and irrational.{{more}}

High Court Judge Justice Gertel Thom made the ruling earlier this month against the transfer decision of the Chief Personnel Officer and indicated that Sam should make an application for damages within three months.

But up to Tuesday this week, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves told journalists he had not yet been advised by the Attorney General, who had indicated that she had not yet seen the full text of the judgement.

In his reaction to the judgement, Sam told Searchlight last week:

“What it says in terms of that transfer of assignment is that it is illegal and wrong to just move someone from a post or assignment, and take them to no post, and no definition of a job, no job specification…that is illegal and it is irrational to take a person trained in a particular way and just dump them somewhere.”

Sam was subsequently dismissed from the public service in May 2013 after a Public Service Commission tribunal found him guilty of misconduct. He has appealed that decision and is awaiting the outcome.