Judgement Debts Saga: Missing file at A-G’s dept

A SENIOR State Attorney at the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) Department, Alfreda Dankyi, on Monday, failed to furnish the Judgement Debt Commission with documents covering the payment of $159,149 to a law firm, Messrs Dewey and LeBoeuf, for services it rendered to government in 2008.

Mrs. Dankyi told the Commission headed by Sole Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau that her inability to provide the right documents stemmed from the fact that the main file containing the agreement and payments made to the law firm could not be located.

She emphasised that: “Unfortunately, the Chief State Attorney who was handling the file at the time, is on retirement and she is out of the country at the moment. We are still trying to contact her, and at the same time we are also making further searches at our registry to locate the main file, which will give us more information on the matter.”

The Solicitor-General was subpoenaed by the Judgement Debt Commission to produce documents on payments made to Messrs Dewey and LeBoeuf who had rendered legal services to government on maritime boundary issues.

The legal firm was thus paid the sum of $159,149 on March 11, 2010, but documents covering the payment cannot be located by the AG’s Department.

Daily Guide’s checks with the Judgement Debt Commission revealed that the exact maritime boundary issue the law firm dealt with is not known.

Mrs. Dankyi who was representing the Solicitor-General was led in evidence by Dometi Kofi Sorkpor, counsel for the Judgement Debt Commission.

She was, however, able to produce documents on the agreement between the Ministry of Justice and Attorney Generals Department and Messrs Dewey and LeBoeuf.

She also tended 11 invoices from Messrs Dewey and LeBoeuf, and an unsigned letter from the AG’s Department to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP) authorizing the payments.

She indicated that: “I have instructions from the Solicitor-General to let the Commission know that the letter ordering the payment was not signed and that the Solicitor-General is still trying to retrieve the main file from its registry.”

Justice Apau then asked Mrs. Dankyi to make efforts to locate the other documents and furnish the commission with them.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) was also expected to appear before the Commission, but according to the Sole Commissioner, he (IGP) did not receive the invitation to appear.

The IGP would, therefore, be summoned to appear on Wednesday, July 24 2013.

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.

Notable among them is the never-ending case of GH¢51.2 million parted to the self-styled National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, which many believe was dubious and frivolous.