By Beatrice Oppon
The ECOWAS Court has fixed July 13, to deliver judgement on a suit brought against the government of Ghana over the Agyapa deal. Transparency International, Ghana Integrity Initiative and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition want an order restraining government from implementing the Agyapa deal, and a cancellation or termination of already existing contracts.
It is case of the Applicants that government’s action of entering into a relationship agreement with Minerals Income Investment Fund and Agyapa Royalties Limited in respect of transactions surrendering the sovereignty of the country over its gold mineral resources in perpetuity constitutes an interference with the right guaranteed under Article 21(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as violation of The Revised African Convention On The Conservation Of Nature And Natural Resources.
Lawyer of the applicants Olumide Babalola contended that there must be a proper consultative process for the deal to be transparent. Chief State Attorney Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, raised a preliminary objection to the capacity of Transparency International to sue government.
She told the court that the deal will be beneficial to the people of Ghana and accordingly prayed the Court to dismiss the suit as frivolous and without merit.
