Sole Commissioner orders AG to produce State Attorney
The Sole Commissioner of Judgement Debt on Monday ordered the Attorney General (AG) to produce the State Attorney who handled the case in which GH¢42,000.00 judgement debt was paid by the state.
Mr Justice Yaw Appau said in the matter of compensation payment to the family of the late Stephen Danomah, the said amount was paid to one Mr Seth Agyei Yeboah instead of the family or the two persons and the law firm which originally initiated the case.
He said for the AG’s Department to ask for compensation to be paid to Mr Seth Agyei Yeboah based on a self-serving statutory asking that all matters relating to the case be channelled through him instead of the law firm or the two persons, who initiated the case left room for some elements of doubt, which needed clarification from the AG’s Department.
Mr Dometi Kofi Sokpor, Counsel for the Commission, said the deceased was gunned down by Corporal Felix Asante in 2008 in Accra for no apparent reason; hence two members of his family through Totoe Law firm filed a suit against the State, but the State opted for an out of court settlement.
Mr Kwadwo Awuah Peasah, Director In-Charge of External Resources Mobilisation of the Ministry of Finance ; who was then the Chief Economic Officer at the time of the payment, told the Commission that the Ministry received instructions from the AG’s Department directing them to make compensation payment to one Mr Seth Agyei Yeboah, which was honoured in 2010.
Mrs Elfred Dankyi, Senior State Attorney, who represented the AG, noted that officials are still gathering information on the case and pleaded with the Commission for two weeks adjournment to enable them to adequately prepare for it.
The Senior State Attorney said she is not in a position to explain why payment was made to Mr Seth Agyei Yeboah instead of the law firm that represented the family or the two people who initiated the case.
The Commission accepted her plea and had accordingly asked the AG and the particular State Attorney, who handled the case to appear before it in person on August 8.
Speaking to journalists after the Commission’s sitting, Mr Sokpor said the Inspector General of Police or his representative was supposed to be at the day’s hearing but due to other national assignments they could not.
He said the police are expected to make an appearance on July 31 in the matter.
The Commission will continue sitting on Tuesday, July 30, at 1000 hours.
Source: GNA