The Sole Commissioner, Justice Yaw Appau has questioned the competence of lawyers at the Attorney General’s Department.According to Justice Appau lawyers at the AG’s department have played roles in huge judgment debts paid to undeserving people.
Justice Yaw Appau raised this concern when an official of the Finance Ministry appeared before him on Tuesday to provide answers as to why over GHC 264 000 was paid to one Peter Abban.
Peter Abban, sued the state in 2003, demanding compensation after portions of his wall were pulled down to allow for the construction of the Kanda Highway in 1993.
At the sitting of the Judgement Debt Commission on Tuesday, it emerged that Peter Abban did not merit the payment because he had rather encroached on government’s land.
But the state lost the case because lawyers at the AG’S department failed to put up a defence to challenge the payment.
‘’This man Peter Abban did not merit the payment of this money…; this is like stealing from the state. He was an encroacher,’’ Justice Appau opined.
There were several documents circulated from the Department of Urban roads as well as the contractors that this man (Peter Abban) should not be paid.
‘’But just like most of the cases we have heard here, lawyers at the AG’s department did not challenge it in court. What kind of a country is this?,’’ Justice Appau lamented.
He added that the Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice be decoupled to allow the AG have ample time to properly monitor the activities of its lawyers so these issues of default judgment will not arise again.
Meanwhile, officials of the AG’s department and Lands commission failed to make an appearance.
By: Pearl Akanya Ofori /citifmonline.com/Ghana