Statement By Martin Amidu, Attorney-General

PRESS STATEMENT BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU, ATTORNEY-GENERAL

RE: “Tussle Over Judgment Debt A-G Attacks Business Tycoon …”

My attention has been drawn to a front page publication in the Enquirer Newspaper of 9th November 2011 written by one Samuael Abane Anaba under the title “Tussle Over Judgment Debt….” Samuel Abane Anaba alleges in that publication that I made certain accusations against the Chief Executive of the Gbewaa Civil Engineering Limited in relation to a pending civil suit No AC212/2011 entitled Gbewaa Civil Engineers Ltd and Another v The Attorney-General filed in the High Court (Fast Track Division) Accra on 19th April 2011 over an alleged judgment debt. I have never made any allegations or accusations against any of the plaintiffs in the suit to Samuel Abane Anaba on any occasion to warrant his contumatous publications in the said Enquirer Newspaper.

In July 2011 Samuel Abane Anaba who resides in Bolgantaga called me on telephone and sought to interrogate me about an alleged refusal to pay a judgment debt and other statements he alleged were fed to him by the Chief Executive of Gbewaa Civil Engineers Ltd. I told Samuel Abane Anaba firmly that the matter was pending in a court of competent jurisdiction and it would be contempt of the court for me to grant an interview in relation to such a matter. Samuel Abane Anaba pretentiously tried cross examining me by putting several allegations to me which I refused to respond to on the grounds that the matter was pending in court. I warned Samuel Abane Anaba that he would himself be in contempt of court should he publish anything concerning the case while it was pending in the court. He was adamant and so I broke off the interview. I complained immediately about Samuel Abane Anaba’s conduct on telephone to a common friend of the Chief Executive of Gbewaa Civil Engineers Ltd and myself who is a Medical Consultant at Korle Bu, and to a nephew of mine in Bolgatanga where Samuel Abane Anaba resides. I have since that fateful July 2011 not spoken to Samuel Abane Anaba again.

Since Samuel Abane Anaba’s publication of his contemptuous allegations attributed to me on 9th November 2011, a good Samaritan has drawn my attention to another front page publication by the self same Samuel Abane Anaba in the Enquirer Newspaper of 7th October 2011 entitled “Gbewaa Fights A-G … Over Judgement Debt Payment” in which Samuel Abane Anaba states the results of his brief interrogation of me in his last paragraph at page 4 thereof as follows: “But when contacted on phone for his side of the story, the AG indicated that he does not owe him and the matter was still in court, saying the matter is still in court and if I say anything it would be contempt of court.”

I have since July 2011 not spoken to Samuel Abane Anaba again. It smacks of professional and ethical misconduct for him to attribute to me statements of any slanderous allegations against any of the plaintiffs in the case which I never made to him after his interrogation of me in July and his publication of 7th October 2011. Gbewaa Civil Engineering Ltd and Another, have a case pending in a superior court against the Attorney-General. The due process of law and fairness requires that the issues are not prejudiced by media reportage before the court has the opportunity to make an impartial determination of the case. I wish to state once again that the continued publications of matters which seek to prejudice the fair hearing and determination of this case constitutes contempt of court.

Whosoever is responsible for the series of publications on this pending suit in the Enquirer Newspaper since Monday 20th June 2011 seeking to prejudice a fair disposal of the case ought to be advised to desist from those acts of contempt of court before the law catches up with him. I refuse to be drawn into any media trial of the case commenced by Gbewaa Civil Engineers Ltd against the Attorney-General while the matter is pending in court.

DATED AT THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S CHAMBERS THIS 17TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2011

Martin A. B. K. Amidu

(Attorney-General and Minister for Justice)