Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Fariegn Affairs
THE MINISTRY of Foreign Affairs has been dragged before the Judgement debt Commission over payment of about GH?54,514.13 judgement debt to a retired Foreign Service employee, Kofi Doe Hubert.
Mr. Hubert had sued the Foreign Ministry at a Fast Track High Court because it had refused to pay his End of Service-Benefit (ESB) after his retirement.
However, he died before the High Court, presided over by Justice E. K. Ayebi, gave the ruling in his favour.
Evidence available to the Sole Commissioner, Justice Yaw Apau, indicated that the money was paid and it was assumed that Mr. Hubert?s family might have received the cash.
The facts of the case are that Mr. Hubert retired in 1987 but was not paid his entitlements, compelling him to petition the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice in 2005.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had indicated it would not pay the benefits because Mr. Hubert owed government.
It was after the Ministry?s defiance that Mr. Hubert petitioned the CHRAJ where it was decided that he should be paid his full entitlements.
Even after the CHRAJ?s decision, the Foreign Ministry still insisted it would not pay and this necessitated the action in court.
According to the counsel to the Sole Commissioner, Kofi Dometi Sokpor, it was the CHRAJ that took the Foreign Affairs Ministry to court in 2007 to have its decision enforced.
Per the law that established CHRAJ, the Human Rights Commission can only enforce its decision by bringing an action in court.
Appearing before the Judgement debt commission yesterday, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated they did not have the docket on the case.
They have pleaded for time to retrieve all documents relating to the case and properly brief the Commission on it.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General?s (A-G?s) Department failed to turn up for two cases brought against it by CHRAJ.
It, however, explained in a letter that they could not appear before the Commission because it could not retrieve dockets on cases.
By Awudu Mahama
