SOLE-COMMISSIONER SEEKS MORE EVIDENCE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday December 19, 2012

Sole-Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau yesterday ordered the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) to request from ministries, department and agencies all outstanding compensations or judgement debt claims from private entities and individuals to be honoured by the government.

“We want the MMDAs to inform you about compensations or judgement debt claims if they are still holding on to it or those that have not been paid,” Justice Apau said yesterday.

The ‘Commission of Enquiry into the payment of Judgement Debt and Akin’ under C.I. 79 to investigate the frivolous and dubious payments of huge monies to undeserving individuals and companies, was appointed by President John Dramani Mahama after public uproar over the payments in what has now come to be termed as Judgement Debts (JD).

Notable among them were payments made to CP (94 million Euros) and the never-ending case of GH¢51.2million parted to the self-styled National Democratic Candidate (NDC) financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, both of which many believed were dubious and frivolous.

At its sitting yesterday, Kwadwo Awua-Peasah, Chief Economics Officer representing the Chief Director of MOFEP, told the commission that even though his boss at the maiden sitting had promised to tender in evidence the budget statements of 1993 and 1997, the documents were not ready.

The ministry had already tendered all the budget statements with the exception of 1993 and 1997.

He said: “We are informed that our colleague agencies have the documents so we are contacting them and get them to the commission.”

The chief economics officer also tendered in evidence documents bothering on payments of judgement debts made so far which included 2008, 2011 and 2012 since 2009 and 2010 were already in evidence.

He said the ministry had contacted the Public Records, Archives and Administrative Department (PRAAD) to compile all judgement debts and compensation payments made from 1993 to 2007 for the commission.

When Dometi Kofi Sorkpor, counsel for the commission asked for documents on private companies that received some form of financial support from the government but when it came to final payments the government did not make them pay for the support before final amounts were released, Mr. Awua-Peasah said the ministry was compiling it ‘case by case’.

Taking his turn, Chief Cashier at the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department, William Attipoe, who represented the Controller said he was the officer responsible for effecting payment on behalf of the government both in and outside the country.

He said due to the short notice given by the commission they could not compile all the documents requested.

They, however, were able to tender in evidence documents on payment covering 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

He said the commission could not retrieve documents indicating the payment of judgement debts from 1993 to 2007 and had contacted PRAAD to help them.

He promised to make them available by mid-January.

Sitting continues today.