3 Granted Bail In Osagyefo Barge Case

The Jomoro District Police Command has granted bail to the three suspects who were arrested for purchasing equipment and accessories from the Osagyefo Power Barge at Efasu after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague had ordered the return of the plant to the state. The three � Paul Gyimah, a state auctioneer, Ahmedu Iddrisu and Emmanuel Eshun � were arrested while carting the items out of the restricted area. According to the District Police Commander, Supt John F. Dzineku, the three were granted bail and the docket on the case forwarded to the Attorney-General�s Department for advice. He said the items, comprising a power generator, high tension underground cables, several boxes of new filters, electrical cables, a large number of transformer radiators and other units, as well as fittings, were returned to the barge after the police had taken inventory of them. Security Supt Dzineku said on the request of the Attorney-General�s Department and the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, policemen had been deployed to guard the installations at Effasu. The US$110-million plant was purchased in 1999 and was supposed to add 125-megawatts of power to the national grid. But its operations were halted due to a dispute relating to a power purchase agreement (PPA) entered into between Ghana and Balkan Energy on July 27, 2007. It became an issue after the aggrieved party, which, according to the government, failed to honour its obligation under the PPA, entered into with the government, took the case to the International Court in The Hague in 2009. A-G�s Department According to the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, the substantive decision by the Permanent Court of Arbitration rejected all claims brought against Ghana. �The claim put forward by Balkan Energy amounted to $3 billion based on tolling fees on the PPA entered into in 2007 between the government of Ghana and Balkan Energy,� she said.