Attorney General and Minister of Justice Benjamin Kumbuor beat a quick conditional retreat on Wednesday when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee about his earlier claim that his predecessor Betty Mould-Iddrisu beat down from 614 million Euros to 94 million Euros to be paid to Construction pioneers as judgment debt.
His predecessor had earlier said she negotiated the award down from 153 million Euros to 94 million Euros.
Dr. Kumbuor at his last appearance on June 12 tabled to the Committee, a document from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) on the ruling between CP and the Government of Ghana to that effect.
He however said the 614 million euros was one of the claims made by CP in the cause of the negotiations.
He said he was merely briefed on the figure by his External Solicitors and went ahead to apologize and withdraw the claim.
The Attorney General also added that looking at the trend of events there are more judgments debts on its way but is unable to intervene.
“The patterns honourable chairman is getting very predictable and very interesting that is why I told you that there are more judgment debts on their way”.
On another different judgment debt concerning the construction of the Keta Sea Defense Wall, Dr Kumbuor said the Government of Ghana paid in total, 40 million dollars as judgment debt to Rockshell International for defaulting in paying the firm for work done on the Defense wall in 1986.
A November 2006 court Judgment slapped a 53,000 Ghana cedis judgment debt burden on the government of Ghana but interest was calculated at the commercial bank rate from 1986, which was the time the contract was executed shooting the debt to 69 million dollars and later to 120 million dollars in 2010.
Former Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu negotiated the debt down to 35 million dollars.
Dr Kumbuor explained to the Committee how the state ended up paying five million dollars more in excess of the negotiated amount.**
