Tema, May 17, (Tay) GNA - A Tema High Court on Wednesday summoned the Chief Director of the Ministry of Finance to appear before it on June nine, in connection with the case in which 498 retrenched workers are claiming 4.1billion cedis in severance awards from the government.

According to the summons, Mr Opoku Manu, Chief Director is to show cause why he should not be committed to prison for the Ministry's failure to settle the full judgement debt of 6.1 billion cedis granted to the ex-workers of the former Tema Food Complex Corporation (TFCC).

TFCC, which was divested in 1994, is now Ghana Agro Foods Company Limited (GAFCO). The court's decision followed a writ filed on their behalf by Mr Justice E. K. Jones-Mensah last Monday following the failure of the government to pay the retrenched workers the remaining amount of 4.1 billion cedis.

In their affidavit, the workers said in 1995, when the Tema High Court entered a Judgement in their favour, the government appealed against it but lost the appeal in February 1998.

Government was, therefore, compelled to pay two billion cedis out of the judgement debt of 6.1 billion cedis in May last year. The 6.1 billion cedis comprised of the principal sum, interest up to the date of judgement and only 54.5 per cent of the interest, thus the Ministry knocking off 45.5 per cent of the accrued interest.

In a letter signed by Dr Kwaku Anyemedu, Legal Counsel of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry promised to settle the rest of the money after the approval of the 1999 budget by Parliament.

The letter signed on behalf of the Minister of Finance cited "cash flow problems" as the reasons for the delay. The writ said out of respect and understanding for the government, they were advised by Justice Jones-Mensah not to invoke the court's execution process but to give the government reasonable time to satisfy the judgement debt.

The affidavit said after several visits to the Ministry of Finance, the workers, who have been jobless for the past six years, are now fed up with the attitude of the Ministry and cannot bear their sufferings further, hence the court action.

The ex-workers said they believed they were only being tormented and added that the government is not entitled to disregard a court judgement.