After several months of failing to appear before the commission investigating past judgment debts in Ghana, Peter Abban through his Lawyer Kwame Amponsah Agate finally appeared at Wednesday’s sitting of the commission.
Mr. Abban sued the State in 2002, claiming contractors who worked on the Kanda Highway had demolished parts of his home in 1993 to pave the way for the road project.
An Accra court later granted Mr. Abban’s claim, compelling the State to pay over 264,000 Ghana cedis in judgment debt to him.
At an earlier sitting of the commission, the Attorney General’s Department (AG) admitted it failed to defend the State against the questionable 264,000 Ghana cedis paid to Peter Abban.
During Wednesday’s sitting, Mr Kwame Agate reiterated the AG’S point.
“My Lord, prior to the suit in 2002, the AG had severally been served notices of Peter Abban’s intention to sue. The AG entered appearance in March of the same year and even after two whole years they failed to file a defense.”
He continued saying, “the Account of the Department of Urban Roads was garnisheed to pay my client because he had secured the services of a land Valuer to value his property and so needed to pay for the services. The Ministry of Finance subsequently issued a cheque to pay my client. Interestingly, just before the money was paid, the AG applied to set aside the judgment but it was not granted”.
Responding to questions as to whether Peter Abban deserved the money paid him or not, because the Urban Roads Department had said he [Peter Abban] rather encroached on government land, Mr Agate said: “No one told neither me nor the court that the property for which my client was demanding compensation belonged to government. I only got to know in the media circles when news of my client broke out”.
Mr Agate stated that the default judgement was awarded against the state simply because the AG simply showed no interest in the case.
By: Pearl Akanya Ofori /citifmonline.com/Ghana