General News of Monday, 16 July 2012

Source: peacefmonline

Gov't responds to Akuffo-Addo over judgment debts

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) party is wondering whether Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, can be labeled as a "debt collector" or a "debt engineer" after it emerged that his "first legal action" as the country's Attorney-General, was to recommend the payment of a settlement claim to Great Cape Company of Switzerland.

Speaking at the highly-publicized and eagerly-anticipated press conference announced by goverment promising insight into another scandalous high profile judgment debt case, Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who has been at the forefront of revealing various debts the nation owed certain companies and individuals, said "even 10 years after leaving office" the NPP leader "stills believes Great Cape Company deserves" its financial package.

The NPP flagbearer, has on numerous occasions, indicated his resolve not to allow the gargantuan payment of judgement debt to rear up its ugly head under his watch as president.

But on Monday, Okudzeto Ablakwa slammed the NPP leader for being hypocritical on the issue of judgment debt when he produced two letters signed by the NPP flagbearer, one when he served as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the Kufuor administration which was dated 18th April, 2001, and another dated 3rd October, 2011, recommending that the Ministry of Finance should effect payment of about $ 1.1 million to the Swiss-based company.

“Nana Akufo-Addo after assuming office as Attorney General and Minister for Justice in 2001, one of Mr. Akufo-Addo’s first legal actions to the State was to recommend the payment of settlement as evidenced by his letter dated 18th April 2001, he even went beyond settlements by simply agreeing with the petition from the Solicitors of Great Cape without any further negotiations or court processes...Nana Akufo-Addo has as recently as nine months ago had been busily advocating behind the scenes that Great Cape Company of Switzerland be paid an additional $1,117,818.45 in what he calls Great Capes ‘legitimate claims'," Mr Ablakwa said.

According to him, "Mr Akufo-Addo is no stranger to the payment of Judgement Debts" adding that “even ten years after Akufo-Addo left office, he believes fervently that the Great Cape Company of Switzerland has a legitimate claim against the State".

"Indeed he has not only been faithful to Great Cape, but also states in writing, in the 3rd of October, 2011 letter from his office, that it would be ‘unconscionable on the part of Government’ to ‘defeat legitimate claims of its creditors,” the deputy information minister quoted.

Whiles stressing that government only alluded to the two documents as a way of reinforcing the need for a dispassionate and non-partisan discourse on the issue of judgment debts, Okudzeto Ablakwa added that the NDC simply wants to know whether per the opposition party's logic, "the NPP will call representatives of Great Cape Company fraudulent or label them cronies of the NPP Flagbearer, Akufo Addo?"

"Will the NPP accuse Akufo-Addo of betraying the people of Ghana? Will the NPP accuse Akufo Addo of only being concerned with foreign business interests with the intention of receiving kick-backs? Will the NPP call him a Debt Collector or a Debt Engineer? Will Sheikh l.C Quaye call Akufo-Addo a "stealer"?" Mr Ablakwa sought to know.