I'm not the finance minister, attempts to tarnish my reputation won't stick - Godfred Dame

Attorney General Godfred Dame has firmly rejected claims that he refused to settle the legal liabilities resulting from a $134 million judgment debt issued against Ghana by a UK tribunal.

Dame emphasised that the responsibility for payment lies with the Finance Minister, not his office.

The judgment debt stems from a power purchase agreement between Trafigura's Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC) and the Ghanaian government, myjoyonline.com reports.

In a Final Award issued on January 26, 2021, the UK tribunal determined that Ghana had breached its contractual obligations by terminating the agreement on February 18, 2018. The tribunal ordered Ghana to pay $134,348,661 as an Early Termination Payment, with additional interest and arbitration fees totalling over $3 million.

Despite the ruling, Ghana has only made partial payments, leaving an outstanding balance of $111,493,828.92, which continues to accrue interest.

Recently, a district court in the United States granted a Motion for Default Judgment in favour of GPGC, ordering Ghana to pay the remaining amount plus post-judgment interest.

Former Power Minister Dr. Kwabena Donkor, who oversaw the emergency power agreement, criticised the government's decision to terminate the contract and questioned why the Attorney-General's office had not resolved the legal liabilities.

He suggested that the Attorney-General's Department and the Ministry of Energy may have either neglected their duties or recognised that the arbitration settlement was legally sound and not worth challenging.

In response, Godfred Dame clarified his role, stating, "the award was final, and my duty is to ensure that the Ministry of Finance pays. And indeed, the Minister of Finance has not paid. I’m not a Minister for Finance."

Dame also dismissed the criticism as part of a smear campaign by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) aimed at tarnishing his reputation.

"I think all these attempts, with all respect, aim to hurl mud at my reputation will not stick because the record will show that in my tenure as Attorney General, there has not been a single judgment debt," he asserted.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kwabena Donkor assured that a future NDC administration would investigate all judgment debts and consider prosecuting public officers who caused financial loss to the state.

NAY/ADG

Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below:

Watch a documentary on Uncle Ebo Whyte below:

Watch the latest episode of Everyday People on GhanaWeb TV below: