An Accra High Court has frozen the accounts of the Ada East District Assembly for its refusal to pay a contractor who had rendered his services to the assembly in 2016.
The court gave the frozen order after efforts by the contractor over the years to receive his money yielded no results.
Nene Teye Akplehey Adzomani IV, known in private life as Prince Akplehey, was contracted by the Assembly in 2016 to provide streetlights, bulb igniters and photocells as well as rehabilitate existing streetlights at a contract sum of GH¢89, 593.75, which he perfectly executed.
But after completing the contract in November 2016, the Ada East Assembly couldn’t pay him before a change of government occured in 2017.
According to the contractor, he tried all possible means to get the Assembly to pay him but have failed.
Meanwhile, the new leadership of the Ada East District Assembly claimed it did not recognise any such contract, compelling the contractor to officially write to the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council and the former Regional Minister who intervened but the Assembly ignored.
The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) authenticated that the works were done and by that the office of the Attorney General advised the contractor to seek redress at the law court with his documentary proof.
The Accra High Commercial Court, presided over by Her Ladyship Rebecca Sittie, in her ruling in March this year, ordered that the Ada East District Assembly paid Prince Isaac Akplehey, GH¢89, 593.75 being the contract sum with an accrued interest of GH¢277,396.10 over the unpaid period.
The court also awarded GH¢20,000 in favour of the plaintiff, bringing the total judgment cost to GH¢386,989.85.
However, the assembly again failed to observe the court’s order as a result of which the court has frozen its accounts.
The Ada East District Assembly’s coordinating director Fred Kpodo when reached by Coverghana on the matter confirmed that the assembly’s accounts were frozen by the Accra High Court but was quick to add that the assembly has filed for a stay of execution.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
