Report Accurately On Judgment Debt Proceedings-Commissioner

Mr Justice Yaw Appau, Sole Commissioner at the Judgment Debt Commission on Thursday urged the media to give accurate reportage on proceedings at the Commission�s sitting. This follows a news item by an Accra based radio station on Wednesday�s proceedings which quoted the Sole Commissioner as accusing lawyers for taking bribes. Speaking to the issue at the Commission�s sitting in Accra on Thursday, Mr Appau denied singling out lawyers as a group of professionals who take bribes from their clients. He said even though he made mention of some bad nuts in the Ghana Bar Association, he also spoke of other professionals such as Judges, Doctors and many others who are also in similar situations. He therefore wondered why the radio station could single out and twist his comments about lawyers to look as if he accused every lawyer of taking bribe. Appearing at the Commission�s sitting on Thursday was Mr Philip Lartey, Deputy Director, Department of Urban Roads, in connection with a judgment debt paid to one Peter Abban over the construction of the Kanda Highway. Mr Abban in 2005 received over GH�200,000.00 from the state after claiming his wall was affected by the construction of the highway. Mr Lartey however told the Commission that Mr Abban did not merit the compensation he received from the state. He said the wall in question was part of the road reservation land and was not entitled to any compensation. He said the department tried to stop the payment but it was to no avail. Madam Dorothy Owusu Afriyie, Chief State Attorney, explained to the Commission that, Mr Abban had a default judgment, as the Attorney General�s Department got very little support from the state agencies involved to enable it to put in a defense. Mr Kwabena Sarfo Mensah of Lexcom Associate also appeared before the Commission in connection with Construction Pioneers (CP) and government of Ghana arbitration case. He said even though previously he was a counsel for CP, he seized working with them even before the arbitration could start. He said CP took all of its files from him and that he did not have any document in relation to the matter.