Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, has stated that no arbitration awards have been issued against Ghana since he assumed office.
He made this remark while discussing a recent enforcement order by a US court concerning the payment of Trafigura’s judgment debt.
Speaking with Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Wednesday, Mr. Dame highlighted the significant progress Ghana has made in international arbitration under his tenure.
He expressed confidence and pride in the fact that, to date, no arbitration awards have been issued against the country during his time as Attorney General.
“There is no US Court which is awarding judgment against the government of Ghana. It is only an enforcement order and that enforcement order is on account of a failure to pay a judgment debt which accrued way back in January 2021 as a result of an award that was given that time.”
“…For me significantly it highlights the significance of the progress Ghana has made when it comes to international arbitration because if you recall in my tenure as Attorney General, there have been very huge arbitration claims against the government of Ghana many running into billions of dollars and all that and till date, I am very confident and very proud to say that till date there has not been a single arbitration award against the government of Ghana in my tenure as AG and that is something that is worth celebrating,” he stated.
Godfred Dame also clarified that the Trafigura judgment debt is not a new issue and that no US court has awarded a new judgment against Ghana.
This clarification comes in response to reports suggesting that a District of Columbia Court in the United States had ordered the Ghanaian government to pay over $111 million, along with obligatory post-judgment interest, following a Motion of Judgement in favour of the Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC).
But Mr Dame explained that the Trafigura judgment debt was actually decided back in January 2021.
He further clarified that the recent court action was merely an enforcement order, noting that while the government had taken steps to make payments, it had not yet completed the full payment.
