AG begs for one week over €94m CP deal

Dr Ben Kumbuor

The Attorney General Dr Benjamin Bumbuor is asking for one week notice before he would be able to tell the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament if the Construction Pioneers transaction with government of Ghana was international or domestic.

He told committee members on Tuesday, a lawyer does not carry the law in his head but finds the law if given adequate notice.

He was answering a question from the Deputy Chairman of the Committee Kwaku Agyeman Manu who wanted to find out if the CP transaction was international or domestic.

The government of Ghana has paid 94 million Euros to Construction Pioneers in settlement for work done and interest accrued after litigation.

The Attorney General appeared before the Committee to explain how Ghana incurred that debt.

Among other things, the chief legal advisor to government said the debt was accrued following years of litigation in court.

He explained since 2006, the CP judgment debt had risen from 24 million Euros to 94 million not by an act but by omission, hinting that public officers responsible be hauled to court for causing financial loss to the state.

When asked if the CP deal was international or domestic, this was what he had to say: “It is not prudent and ethical to sit here and give you an Attorney General's opinion as to whether a transaction is international or not.

“But if you give me notice of that within one week because the lawyer doesn't carry his law in his head. The lawyer knows where to find his law,” he explained.

His answer was not satisfactory to committee members who questioned the AG's preparedness to appear before the committee.

“By my training as a lawyer, I am not supposed to carry my law in my head. I am trained to find the law and I say give me the opportunity to find the law and advise you,” he said.

He added he could not, on the spur of the moment answer to a question on facts he does not understand.