Battle for Blay Miezah's estate rages on

The Daily Graphic says the battle for the estate of the late John Ackah Blay-Miezah, believed to be worth millions of dollars in foreign banks, has taken a new turn, with the lodging of a caveat against the granting of a probate to Dr Ebenezer Ako-Adjei and Mr Francis Mensah.

The caveat was lodged by William Adumuah-Bossman, counsel for Dr John R. Kells, an Irish confidant of the deceased, who was authorised by an Accra High Court to execute the will of Blay-Miezah made in 1989.

On October 24, the Supreme Court, by a unanimous decision, gave judgement in favour of a 1988 will in the possession of Dr Ako-Adjei, a Minister in the First Republic, and Mr Mensah, a nephew of deceased.

The five-member court, presided over by Mrs Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, also went ahead to revoke the probates granted by the High Court in respect of the 1989 Will of the deceased.

The judgement followed an appeal filed by Dr Ako-Adjei and Mr Mensah, challenging the decision of the High Court that the Will of 1989 was genuine.

According to legal experts, the lodging of the caveat could be followed by an application for a review of the October 24 judgement by the full bench of the Supreme Court.

The High Court in Accra, in May 1997, declared that the will made by Blay-Miezah on January 29, 1989 and produced by Dr Kells, was valid.

Dissatisfied with the judgement, the appellants went to the Appeal Court for a reversal of the decision and the nullification of the 1989 probate held by Dr Kells. The Appeal Court, by a two-one majority, in November 1999, upheld the High Court decision and dismissed the appeal.

The late Dr. Blay-Miezah, Managing Director of Oman Ghana Trust, died in June 1992.