Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Godfred Dame, has stated that no arbitration awards have been issued against Ghana since he took office. In an interview with Selorm Adonoo, Dame highlighted the progress Ghana has made in international arbitration under his leadership.
He addressed a recent enforcement order from a US court concerning Trafigura’s judgment debt, clarifying that it was not a new judgment against Ghana but an order related to a January 2021 award. Dame emphasized that no new arbitration awards have been issued against Ghana during his tenure, expressing pride in this achievement.
“There is no US court that is awarding judgment against the government of Ghana. It is only an enforcement order, and that enforcement order is on account of a failure to pay a judgment debt that accrued way back in January 2021 as a result of an award that was given at that time,” he explained.
Dame underscored the significance of Ghana’s progress in international arbitration. He said, “Ghana has made when it comes to international arbitration because, if you recall, in my tenure as Attorney General, there have been huge arbitration claims against the government of Ghana, many running into billions of dollars and all that, and till date, I am very confident and very proud to say that till date there has not been a single arbitration award against the government of Ghana in my tenure as AG, and that is worth celebrating.”
The Attorney General also addressed reports that suggested a US court had ordered Ghana to pay over $111 million in favour of the Ghana Power Generation Company (GPGC), explaining that this judgment debt was decided in January 2021. The recent court action, he clarified, was merely an enforcement order, not a new ruling against the country.
He said while the government had taken steps to make payments, it had not yet completed the full payment.
