Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
A representative from the Attorney
General’s Department yesterday appeared before the Commission of Enquiry
investigating the payment of judgement debts to explain the circumstances
leading to payments made to claimants.
Mrs. Dorothy Afriyie-Ansah, a Chief State Attorney confirmed
to the commission presided over by Justice Yaw Apau of the Court of Appeal that
the family of Victor Adu Nyarko, then nurse with the Holy Family Hospital at
Nkawkaw was paid compensation.
She however, said the AG was yet to locate the file
of a case involving Kwasi Agyei and two others whose vehicle collided with a
military fire tender around Kintampo, leading to the deaths of two people.
She also said her office was yet to receive a
subpoena from the commission in respect of Sarroch Grandulati/Gelfi Joint
Venture versus Ministry of Roads and Highways concerning the Asafo Interchange
in Kumasi although Dometi Kofi Sorkpor, counsel for the commission had said
there was proof of service of the subpoena.
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 Congress (NDC) financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, both of
which many believed were dubious and frivolous.
Kwadwo Awua-Peasah, the ministry’s Director in
charge of External Resource Mobilization (Bilateral), testified at the
commission last week to confirm that they processed GH¢15,975.20 as
compensation for the family of the deceased Victor Adu Nyarko, then nurse with
the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw.
The commission had heard that when some soldiers were
critically injured in a road accident, Mr. Adu Nyarko who studied Nursing in
the United Kingdom, was asked to accompany them to 37 Military Hospital, Accra
by air but the plane crashed in the Atiwa Forest killing all those on board.
The families of the deceased soldiers were paid
compensation but Mr. Adu Nyarko’s family was discriminated against by the
military.
Alidu Fuseini, Chief Director of Ministry of Defence
flanked by Group Captain Mike Kwame Appiah-Agyekum had testified that documents
available indicated that families of the deceased soldiers were paid
compensation but they did not have any record indicating Mr. Adu Nyarko’s
family got any compensation.
Group Captain Appiah-Agyekum had told the commission
that any civilian who uses military aircraft, vehicles and other equipment was
mandated for complete what he called an indemnity form and that absolved the
military from any liability should there be an accident adding “the case of the
nurse lies in the legal realm.”
Mrs Afriyie Ansah confirmed the GH¢15,975.20 paid to
the deceased family and said “there is no breakdown. It was a lump sum that was
recommended.”
Asked by the Sole Commissioner how the AG came by
the total amount, the Chief State Attorney said they based their calculation on
assessments done in previous cases.
In a related development, Peter Abban, a claimant
who had gone to court to obtain judgment debt under the claim that his property
was demolished when the Kanda Highway in Accra was constructed is to appear
before the commission today.
Evidence available to the commission indicated that although
he did not deserve compensation per documents at the Department of Urban Roads,
he succeeded in taking home over ¢2billion from the government.
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