BoG officials present documents on judgement debts to commissioner
Documents requested for by the Commission on Judgement Debts from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) on the payment of judgement debts to individuals and organisations from 1996 to 2011 were yesterday handed over to the Sole Commissioner, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, by two officials of the bank.
The officials, Mr Eric Atta Opoku, the Head of the Foreign Banking Department, and Mr Leslie Akrong, the Head of Domestic Banking, both of the BoG, however, did not provide documents covering 2006 and 2008 because, according to them, no judgement debts were paid in those years.
With that development, the commission has now received the full complement of documents on judgement debt payment from the bank to assist it in its work.
Mr Opoku furnished the commission with documents relating to the payment of judgement debts to individuals and companies abroad in US dollars, British pounds and Deutsche marks, as well as papers regarding the payment of legal fees to foreign lawyers contracted by the government to defend it in cases filed against it in foreign lands which are related to the payments.
In the case of Mr Akrong, he submitted papers relating to the payment of judgement debts to individuals and companies either resident or registered in Ghana.
Because the state is always represented by the Attorney-General in cases filed in Ghana, Mr Akrong could only provide documents related to payments locally.
Mr Justice Apau, an Appeal Court judge, commended the two officials and the BoG for being diligent in looking for the documents and presenting them on time.
During their last appearance on February 12, 2013, the two officers had requested for eight weeks within which, according to them, they could find the documents.
Mr Opoku told the commission that some of the monies paid by the government included costs incurred by claimants in the process of filing cases against the state.
He also explained that anything judgement was delivered against Ghana in the country, the BoG received instructions from the Ministry of Finance to effect payment through the Accountant-General’s office.
With regard to cases filed against the state abroad, he said, the BoG instructed its foreign partner banks to effect payment on its behalf.
Story: Mark-Anthony Vinorkor
