ECOWAS Court of Justice awards cost against Ghana

The ECOWAS Court of Justice has awarded a cost of $750 against Ghana in a matter in which the Government has been sued over the Agyapa deal.

This is because of the delay caused by Ghana (through the Attorney General) in filing her reply to the applicants’ response in the matter.

The applicants: Transparency International, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) sued the Government of Ghana in the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the Agyapa deal.

The Court has ordered Ghana through the Attorney General to file their reply to the applicants’ response by Monday, March 28.

The Court has fixed Wednesday, March 30 to commence hearing as part of its external sitting in Accra from March 21 to April 1, 2022.

When sitting resumed today at the Law Court complex in Accra, Mrs Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, Chief State Attorney, prayed the Court to grant them a week adjournment to enable her reply to the applicants’ response.

Mrs Ansah contended that she had suffered post COVID-19 complications hence her inability to respond to the applicants’ response.

Mr Olumide Babalola, counsel for the applicants, prayed the Court to award a cost of $I, 000 if the state was now going to file her reply to his response.

The three-member panel presided over by Mr Justice Edward Amoako Asante, obliged Ghana the opportunity to file her reply and awarded cost of $750 against Ghana.

The Court further adopted Ghana’s proposed defence.

Mr Babalola lamented over the fact that he had to be travelling up and down for months from the UK because of the case, thereby incurring more expenses.

The three applicants had gone to ECOWAS Court of Justice two years ago over the Agyapa deal because the deal did not follow due process.

The applicants further held that the deal was not in the interest of the public and that the company proposed to be set up by the government had some politically exposed persons on board. 

Ghana through the Attorney General filed its proposed defence in the matter.