Govt Must Speak On Wrongful Judgement Debt Recovery-GACC

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Alfred Woyome
Alfred Woyome

On December 9 each year, the world commemorates the United Nations International Anti-corruption Day (IACD). The 2014 IACD will fall on next week Tuesday.

Alfred-Woyome
Alfred-Woyome

Since the last commemoration of IACD in December 2013, Ghana has incessantly had challenges with issues bothering on corruption and allegations of corruption, commissions of enquiry into some allegations, and arrest of alleged corrupt public officials and court actions to challenge the payment of wrongfully paid judgment debts/settlement agreements.

In retrospect, an outstanding achievement towards the recovery of wrongfully paid judgment debts still fresh on the minds of many Ghanaians is the favourable Supreme Court judgments secured by the former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Martin Amidu. In the first quarter 2014, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong assured Parliament that, her office had taken steps to enforce court judgments in the Martin Amidu versus Attorney-General and Waterville, as well as the Martin Amidu versus Attorney-General and Isofoton.

It is in reference to the above, that the Ghana Anti-corruption Coalition (GACC) is calling on Government to inform Ghanaians on the current status of the recoveries of judgment debts paid to Isofoton SA – $325,472, Waterville Holdings Limited – 25 million Euros and Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome – GH?51.2 million.

Judgments debts payments by democratic governments are not new phenomenon worldwide including Ghana. However, the huge sums of money lost in the payments of avoidable judgment debts are of grave concern to many Ghanaians especially when governments are unable to provide quality basic public services as a result of inadequate funds. Most appalling is the alleged connivance and in some cases negligence of public officers that led to the award of these judgment debts against the country.

GACC is therefore following up on Government to inform Ghanaians on the current status on recoveries, to fully enforce the court order and to urge government to expedite action to retrieve every pesewa due mother Ghana.

This is an effort to ensure that government honours its commitments to openness, transparency, civic participation and accountable governance under the Open Government Partnership Initiative.

SIGNED BY:

NANA OSEI-BONSU LINDA OFORI-KWAFO
CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

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