CHIEF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ON BUSINESS

UNCLAS ACCRA 003064 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: BEXP ECON ETRD EINV GH SUBJECT: CHIEF JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL ON BUSINESS DISPUTE REF: STATE 200703 On December 21, PolChief delivered reftel demarche to Chief Justice of Ghana George Kingsley Acquah. PolChief noted that this was the third time he had raised with the Chief Justice our concerns about delays in hearing a case in the Kumasi court involving U.S. company Export Finance Network. Acquah appeared surprised this case was still pending, lamenting that the Kumasi court was particularly corrupt. He turned to one of his aides and emphasized the need to expedite the case. If necessary, he said he would send a judge from Accra to Kumasi to deal specifically with this matter. On December 22, an attorney in the Chief Justice's office told PolChief that the Chief Justice had spoken to the Kumasi judge and that the case would be heard at the next scheduled court date (January 14),with a judgment rendered that day. On December 28, PolChief delivered reftel demarche to Attorney General and Minister of Justice Joe Ghartey, who remembered the case from PolChief's previous discussions about EFN. He said he knew EFN's lawyer and would "work on the matter". He thought the best solution would be to transfer the case to an Accra commercial court. BROWN