The 2016 Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) , Nana Akufo Addo will challenge the findings made against him by the Judgement Debt Commission headed by the newly appointed Supreme Court Judge, Justice Apau.
Counsel for Nana Akufo Addo, Nana Asante Bediatuo stated that they have written to the Presidency to get a certified copy of the leaked report in order to seek redress in court without delay.
[contextly_sidebar id=”WQTxFY0N4oaY9MoyLrcjkPFQqS3MWKaq”]The report accused Nana Addo of causing financial loss to the state in the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) drill ship scandal.
The ship was sold by the Kufuor administration to defray a 19.5 million dollars judgment debt owed Societe-General Bank in 2001 when Nana Akufo-Addo was the Attorney General.
The report stated that Nana Addo’s failure to effectively defend the state led to the judgment debt. “This Commission holds the view that the payment of US$19.5 million instead of the US$14 million earlier on agreed, constituted a financial loss to the Corporation and Ghana.”
The Justice Apau Commission, however failed to invite Nana Akufo Addo to testify before it, compelling him to seek redress in the court.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Asante Bediatuo revealed that he and his client [Nana Addo] have written to the Commission to provide them with a copy of the official report for cross examination.
He explained that the decision has become necessary because the leaked report might not “actually be the proper one.”
He further pointed out that Nana Addo was not enthused about the report, especially when “there were some innuendo to that effect that he did not perform his work well and that led to financial loss of the state.”
The lawyer explained that “nothing was said about the reason for debt and how it came about and so forth” adding that “if indeed that investigation had been done, there will be no need to cast aspersions on people such as Nana Addo.”
According to him, Nana Akufo Addo had expressed his willingness to help “ the Commission with its investigations, and arrive at its findings” but it failed to do so,and “went ahead to make scandalous allegations and findings against his client.”
“Anytime an accusation is made against anybody, that person should be given an opportunity to be heard. That principle of justice is something that you cannot depart from.”
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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