Chairman of the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT), retired Appeal Court Justice Christopher Blackman, Q.C. on location at the Warrens Office Complex on Friday.
The Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) is scheduled to bring its ruling in the unfair dismissal case of Sonya Toppin vs Republic Bank in early February 2021.
The unfair dismissal case in which the former sales supervisor with Republic Bank (Barbados) Limited allegedly attempted to leave the island with some US$22,000 and subsequently lost her job in April 2017, continued on Thursday before the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) in the Warrens Office Complex in St. Michael.
The tribunal heard again from the bank’s Senior Manager of Human Resources, Yvonne Hall, who was cross-examined by Attorney-at-Law Larry Smith Q.C., who represented the claimant, whilst Attorney-at-Law Kevin Boyce of Clarke Gittens Farmer represented the bank official.
Chairman of the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT), retired Appeal Court Justice Christopher Blackman, Q.C. indicated during Friday’s proceedings that he was ready for final submissions, in order for the Tribunal to come to a conclusion on the matter. However, whilst the bank’s attorney Kevin Boyce indicated that he could give his submission in a week’s time, Toppin’s attorney noted that due to other pending matters, he would not be able to make his submission until after the Christmas break and sometime after January 11th, 2021.
Justice Blackman then indicated that he would allow for submissions to be made by Friday January 22nd, 2021 and the Tribunal’s ruling would come in the first ten days of the following month, in February.
As it relates to details of the case which was continued yesterday, former bank employee Sonia Toppin is claiming she was unfairly dismissed in April 2017, based on allegations by the bank that she had committed an offence under the Foreign Exchange Control Regulations.
Toppin’s attorney Larry Smith, Q.C. in cross examining Yvonne Hall, tried to find out from Hall whether Toppin had an unblemished record at the bank prior to her termination, to which she agreed and whether Smith had any knowledge of the complainant ever been arrested in breach of the Foreign Exchange Control laws, to which Hall finally replied that she was not aware of any such move, or of Customs taking action against Toppin.
The senior bank manager had earlier agreed with Toppin’s legal counsel that nothing untoward was found in the former sales supervisor’s bank account, nor was there any indication the funds came from an “improper” source. The tribunal had also heard that Toppin had borrowed some Bds$37,000 or the equivalent of US$18,000 from a credit union.
Smith did however stress that the quantum of money allegedly found in Toppin’s possession as she tried to leave the country whilst at the Grantley Adams International Airport, was one of the issues the bank had an issue with.
After a number of matters were revisited by Smith and Boyce had his turn of posing questions to the witness, Justice Blackman queried whether the attorneys were ready to “bring the plane to a landing”, and it was then the call for submissions was made. (RSM)