NO SHOW AT JUDGEMENT DEBT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The Commission of Enquiry that is investigating the payment of Judgement Debts could not proceed yesterday because the witnesses failed to appear before the commissioner.

As a result, Sole Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau of the Court of Appeal had to apologise profusely to journalists who were covering the proceedings and promised to expedite action on the cases in subsequent sittings.

Scheduled to appear before the commission were Attorney General/Solicitor General, followed by Executive Secretary of Lands Commission as well as the Ministry of Roads and Highways to present documents relating to the payments of judgement debt.

In the case of the Attorney General’s Department, they were to explain the circumstances leading to the payment of judgement debt of GH¢313,907.74 to P&A Construction Wood Limited.

Stating the facts of the case, Dometi Kofi Sorkpor, counsel for the commission said P&A Construction Wood Limited was awarded a contract for the construction of Ankaase and Ejuratia road project and also do internal surfacing of roads at Afia Kobi Secondary School.

According to counsel the contractor commenced the project but opted out along the line and put in a request for payment for work already done.

Counsel said interestingly, there was an arbitration clause in the contract which P&A Construction Wood Limited ignored and went straight to court where the company was subsequently awarded the amount.

He said the Attorney General had entered an appearance in the matter but failed to contest it and also refused to go for assessment after the judgement had been awarded to P&A Construction Wood Limited.

Documents available to the commission indicated that the judgement was entered on June 25, 2008 and certificate of judgemment was done on October 26, 2009.

Chief Valuer at the Lands Commission who is currently out of the jurisdiction was expected to represent Executive Secretary in the case involving the commission and Nii Kwei Kumah family compensation.

Counsel said it was in respect of the acquisition of a parcel of land around McCarthy Hill, Accra for the development of a reservoir.

The Sole-Commissioner later said that the Chief Director at Ministry of Roads and Highways was supposed to appear before the commission but several calls placed to them were not received.

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) 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.