CEPS Ignored In Judgement Debt Payment

By Esther Awuah

 THE CUSTOMS Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has stated it is unaware of a judgement debt the Attorney General (AG) paid to the International Tobacco Ghana (ITG) Limited about half a decade ago.

An amount of GH¢4,179,718 was paid as judgement debt in 2009 to ITG Limited.

Larry Fiifi Yankson ,the Assistant Commissioner of the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority formerly of CEPS, made the assertion when he appeared before the Judgement Debt Commission yesterday.

He stated emphatically that even though the then CEPS was party to the case involving ITG Limited, the AG and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), his outfit was not notified when the plaintiff was paid the said amount.

The cigarette manufacturing company, ITG Limited, sued CEPS, the AG and SSNIT when its properties, which belonged to the late Benjamin Amponsah Mensah, were confiscated during the erstwhile Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era.

Certain immovable properties belonging to the company, including its headquarters and two bungalows at Buokrom Estate in the Ashanti Region, were seized and sold by CEPS.

The company then proceeded to court where a ruling in its favour on January 21, 2004 directed that a judgement debt of GH¢4,179,718  should be paid to it.

In 2009 Betty Mould-Iddrisu, the then AG, ordered the Ministry of Finance to effect the payment of the judgement debt.

Led in evidence by Dometi Kofi Sorkpor, counsel for the Judgement Debt Commission, Mr. Yankson said “as far as this case is concerned CEPS was never served with any process on judgement debt payment.”

He explained to the commission, presided over by Justice Yaw Apau, that “when the judge made the ruling in 2004, the judgement was suspended because there was the need to go back and do evaluation and subsequently report to the court for action to be taken”.

The Assistant Commissioner further added that “unfortunately, the judge passed away and from that time to date, any payment which had been made has not been brought to the attention of CEPS.”

He, however, intimated to the commission that the same case was pending in court and that the case was expected to be heard on June 12, 2013.

Representatives from SSNIT, Registrar General’s Department and the AG will also appear before the Commission tomorrow.