US$140 Million Judgment Debt Looming For Akufo-Addo Government Over Cancelled Power Deals

US$140 Million Judgment Debt Looming For Akufo-Addo Government Over Cancelled Power Deals

  • A High Court in the UK has thrown out the government of Ghana's challenge of a $140 million judgment debt
  • An international firm sued the government over the termination of two power deals in 2021
  • The government was arguing that it had not been served court documents appropriately in the lead-up to the judgment debt

Ghana is edging closer to paying another judgment debt after a UK high court threw out the government’s challenge of a claim by GPGC, a subsidiary of international firm Trafigura.

Trafigura sued the Ghana government for terminating two power deals in 2021 and was awarded a judgment debt of some $140 million by a UK court.

US$140 Million Judgment Debt Looming
President Akufo-Addo (L) and Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame (R). Source: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

Ghana had argued that the company had to serve the government through diplomatic channels.

The UK court ruled that Ghana’s argument was untenable.

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Trafigura, via email, went through the finance ministry in serving the court documents with all correspondence duly acknowledged and court dates agreed.

IMANI Africa honorary vice president Bright Simons described the government’s challenge in court as delay tactics by Attorney General Godfred Dame.

Judgement debt due West Africa Gas Limited

YEN.com.gh reported in 2022 that the government was ordered by a London Court of Arbitration to pay over $70 million to West Africa Gas Limited.

The government was ordered to pay the money to the company after it terminated its Gas sales agreement dated October 9, 2015, with Ghana for what it says were roadblocks created by the former.

Judgement debts paid since 2017

Since 2017, the Akufo-Addo government has paid Judgment debts totalling GH¢125 million.

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The highest judgment debt was paid in 2018, an amount of 30.9 million cedis paid to Jubilee Tractors and Assembly Plant Limited.

The payments are higher than during the first four years of the Mahama government.

Revealed: Full List Of Beneficiaries Of Woyome’s GH¢51.2m Judgment Debt

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the then-opposition NPP had chanced on a list purported to have some key NDC members who allegedly benefited from the GH¢51.2 million judgment debt wrongfully paid to Alfred Woyome.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Delali Adogla-Bessa avatar

Delali Adogla-Bessa (Current Affairs Editor) Delali Adogla-Bessa is a Current Affairs Editor with YEN.com.gh. Delali previously worked as a freelance journalist in Ghana and has over seven years of experience in media, primarily with Citi FM, Equal Times, Ubuntu Times. Delali also volunteers with the Ghana Institute of Language Literacy and Bible Translation, where he documents efforts to preserve local languages. He graduated from the University of Ghana in 2014 with a BA in Information Studies. Email: delali.adogla-bessa@yen.com.gh.