By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
A High Court judge has ordered Standard Chartered Bank Gambia Limited to deposit GMD250 million into an interest-bearing account amid an ongoing legal battle with more than 80 of its employees who are challenging the bank’s planned transfer of operations to Access Bank Gambia.
In a ruling delivered Tuesday, Justice Sonia Akinbiyi of the High Court in Banjul declined to halt the transaction but acknowledged the employees’ concerns about job security and outstanding entitlements. The deposit, the court said, will remain under the control of the Sheriff of The Gambia until the conclusion of the case.
The employees — led by Ebrima Jatta, Musu Badjie, and 80 others — had sought an interlocutory injunction to restrain Standard Chartered from proceeding with what they described as a transfer of business to Access Bank. They argued that the transition jeopardized their contractual rights, including claims for severance and provident fund benefits.
The plaintiffs alleged that the bank was in the final stages of the transfer and expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding their future employment status.
Standard Chartered Gambia denied it was selling the business, stating instead that its parent company was divesting its majority shareholding to Access Bank. It assured the court that no redundancies were planned and insisted it remained financially capable of settling any liabilities owed to staff.
Justice Akinbiyi, while refusing to block the transition, ruled that the potential risk to the employees’ benefits warranted protective measures.
“The security deposit will serve to safeguard any legitimate claims that may arise from the proceedings,” she said.
Both parties are expected to return to court for the substantive hearing in the next legal term, after the Easter vacation.
