[2010]DLHC16005 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">THE ATTORNEY GENERAL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">vs.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">BALKAN ENERGY CO. LLC & 2 ORS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">[HIGH COURT]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">SUIT NO. BDC/32/10 DATE: 6TH SEPTEMBER 2010<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">COUNSEL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">HON. BARTON ODRO (DEPUTY ATTORNEY-GENERAL) WITH PERPETUAL YANKSON AND RICHARD GYEMBIBI FOR PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;"> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">MR. ACE ANKOMAH WITH DAAD AKWESI AND YAA AMPADU SACKEY FOR DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENTS<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CORAM</span></b><b><span lang="en-DE" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:#2000"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">HER LADYSHIP JUSTICE BARBARA ACKAH-YENSUA (J)<o:p></o:p></span></p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0in;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">RULING<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This ruling is two-fold. It is firstly in respect of an application by the Plaintiff herein for an order of interlocutory injunction for the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">a.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">To restrain the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant/Respondent from proceeding with or taking any further steps whatsoever in the arbitration proceedings instituted by it on 23<sup>rd</sup> December 2009 against the Government of Ghana in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, save to notify the Tribunal that it is enjoined by the order of this Court from taking any further steps in the arbitration proceedings, pending the final determination of this suit;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">b.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">To restrain the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant from taking any further steps in relation to or in connection with a decision made by the District Court of Amsterdam in the Netherlands on 26<sup>th</sup> February 2010 attaching assets of the Government of Ghana in Netherlands pending the final determination of this suit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">c.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">To restrain the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant,its privies and agents from instituting or pursuing any other arbitration proceedings or any other relief in any jurisdiction outside the jurisdiction of Ghana in respect of a Power Purchase Agreement dated 27<sup>th</sup> July 2007 pending the final determination of this suit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">This ruling is also in respect of an application by the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant/Respondent for the stay of proceedings to compel the Plaintiff herein to conclude the arbitration commenced on 23<sup>rd</sup> December 2009.The parties agreed to argue the two applications together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The grounds for the application for interlocutory injuction as deposed to in the affidavit in support are that pursuant to the Notice of Arbitration the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant has demanded that the dispute described in the Notice arising out of a Power Purchase Agreement herein after referred to as (PPA) between the 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant and the Government of Ghana dated 27<sup>th</sup> July2007,be referred to arbitration at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague in the Netherlands.The Plaintiff/Applicant is however of the opinion that both the Power Purchase Agreement and the Arbitration Agreement contained therein are international Business or Economic Transactions within the meaning of Article 181(5) of the 1992 Constitution, and consequently required Parliamentary approval to render such agreements legal and enforceable. No such Parliamentary approval was obtained either with respect to the Power Purchase Agreement or the Arbitration Agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The Honourable Deputy Attorney-General, relying on the depositions contained in the affidavit in support of the application, contended that the 1<sup>st</sup> Defendant herein entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Plaintiff with regard to the operationalisation of the Osagyefo Barge based at Effasu in the Western Region of Ghana. As a follow up to that, 2<sup>nd</sup> Defendant and the Plaintiff executed an agreement in which it was understood that the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3rd Defendant