Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney-General & Minister for Justice of Ghana
Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame has affirmed that no arbitration awards have been issued against Ghana since he took office.
Speaking in an interview on Citi FM on August 21, 2024, to address concerns over a recent enforcement order by a US court related to Trafigura’s judgment debt.
Dame noted that, to date, no arbitration awards have been made against Ghana during his tenure 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,” citinewsroom.com quoted him to have said.
He further elaborated that the Trafigura judgment debt is not a new issue, dispelling reports that suggested a recent ruling by the District of Columbia Court in the United States had ordered Ghana to pay over $111 million, along with post-judgment interest, to the Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC).
“…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 to 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.
Dame explained that the judgment debt in question was actually settled in January 2021; thus, the recent US court action was an enforcement order to ensure payment, which the government has been addressing but has not yet fully completed.
AM/SEA
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