We need 6 months to produce Kelni GVG Contract - Government's lawyers to court

George Andah, Deputy Communications Minister says the contract can be made available with 4-7 days

The Human Rights Division of the Accra High Court yesterday ordered the minister of communications to release the telecommunications sector revenue monitoring contract, awarded to Kelni GVG Limited, to three plaintiffs who have filed a suit seeking to annul the contract.

But MyNewsGH.com has learnt from Franklin Cudjoe how lawyers for the Communications Ministry asked for 6 months from the court in order to be able to produce the contract document which the trial judge refused to heed.

It is however noteworthy present in court was the Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr George Andah, who informed the court that the ministry could make the contract available within four to seven days, in contradiction of what the Ministry’s lawyers said. It was based on the information provided by the deputy minister that the court gave the July 9, 2018 deadline for the release of the contract.

Mr Justice Anthony Yeboah, a justice of the Court of Appeal with additional responsibility as a High Court judge however dismissed the plaintiffs’ request for other relevant documents associated with the contract.

At the Tuesday hearing, the court therefore ordered the minister to hand over the contract to the three plaintiffs – John Ato Bonful, Nana Ama Adom-Boakye Kanyi and Citizen Ghana Movement on or before July 9, 2018.

Franklin Cudjoe, commenting on the development on his facebook wall wrote:

“Who monitors the monitor? Court! You say companies are hiding revenues due the state and so you are giving awoof $178m tax money to an unknown company to monitor them. And yet, you are hiding documents from us the tax payers. Who monitors the monitor? Now a court had to compel you to give the documents..even then you and your lawyers were confused as to when you should give the documents. Minister says 4 days.. Minister’s lawyers say 6 months!! Court says give it out in 6 days. But we just don’t need the contract. We need every document from tender to PAYMENTS. This ruling alone should inform the president that his appointees are shaming his government. Sad.”