• goldcoastnewsline@gmail.com
• November 19, 2024
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• 1 minute Read

Dampare pledges to deal ruthlessly with election troublemakers – Dampare

The Ghana Police Service has pledged to take firm action against individuals who incite violence before, during, and after the December elections.

The police stated that holding perpetrators accountable will act as a deterrent to others considering actions that could destabilize the country.

During an engagement with the Civic Forum Initiative at the Police Headquarters in Accra, on Tuesday, November 19, Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akufo-Dampare, emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to violence.

He assured that the police would enforce the law strictly to ensure peace throughout the electoral period.

“You should be rest assured, we will engage where we have to engage. We will deescalate where we want to deescalate but when we have to be ruthless in the enforcement of the law, within the context of the rule of law, we will stop at nothing.

“So, Ghanaians should be with us and bear with us, have our back for us to confront anybody who wants to take the peace of this country for granted.

“We hope and remain convinced that the campaigning period will also remain peaceful. We are now focusing on the D-Day and the post-D-Day,” he stated.

Source: citinewsroom.com

• goldcoastnewsline@gmail.com
• November 19, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 2 minutes Read

GCNet ¢4bn arbitration claim thrown out; tribunal awards $2.2m costs to Ghana

An international arbitration tribunal in London has dismissed the claims of Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GCNet) against Ghana, awarding Ghana $2,185,983.21 in legal fees.

This amount includes $1,744,050.42 for legal representation and $441,932.79 for expert witness fees, with simple interest at USD SOFR + 1% if unpaid within 30 days of the ruling.

GCNet filed for arbitration in June 2022, challenging the Government of Ghana’s termination of a service agreement for managing customs and trade systems at Ghanaian ports.

Under the agreement, GCNet charged users fees on import and export transactions.

The contract, initially signed in 2000, was extended multiple times by different Trade Ministers but without proper statutory approvals, violating Ghana’s procurement laws.

In 2020, the government terminated the agreement after a value-for-money assessment, offering compensation per the contract.

GCNet rejected this and sought over GH¢3.3 billion in damages, including claims for wrongful termination, government exemptions, and discounts granted to importers.

Ghana, represented by Attorney-General Godfred Dame, argued that the termination was lawful and that compensation should not exceed the $6 million cap specified in the agreement. The government maintained that GCNet’s claims for losses due to exemptions and discounts were baseless as the policies complied with Ghanaian law and global trade standards.

It also maintained that GCNet had waived its rights to seek damages from such policies by not contesting them earlier, and compound interest was inapplicable under Ghanaian law, and any awarded sum should attract simple interest only.

The tribunal unanimously ruled in favour of Ghana, determining that the termination of the agreement in April 2020 was lawful, GCNet waived its rights to claim damages from exemptions and discounts, and GCNet was entitled to $5.4 million for early termination, as stipulated in the agreement.

The tribunal further deemed GCNet the unsuccessful party and ordered it to pay Ghana’s legal costs.

This ruling is a major victory for Ghana, saving billions of cedis in potential liabilities while highlighting the importance of adhering to proper legal and contractual frameworks.