Government has rejected recommendations by the Judgment Debt Commission that it sanctions some public officials for a $4.9 million financial loss to the state in 2002, but not Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to Government, the Commission erred when it failed to recommend sanctions against the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, who was Attorney General at the time.

Government on Wednesday issued a White Paper on the Judgment Debt Commission’s report in which it accuses Nana Akufo-Addo of causing financial loss to the state by authorizing the payment.

According to the Judgement Debt Commission’s report, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s failure to pay US firm Delta Foods for imported maize in 1997 resulted in a 2 million judgment debt.

Despite agreeing it owed the company, the Attorney General’s office went to the Supreme Court to challenge the judgment, leading to a delay in payment.

A $4.9 million additional interest thus accrued on the amount.

The Commissioner’s report says the US$4.9 million payment authorized by Nana Akufo-Addo as Attorney General and paid to the solicitor for Delta Foods Ltd., Peter Ala Adjetey, constituted a huge financial loss to the State.

According to the Commission’s own findings, it was the wrongful decision of the office of the Attorney General to go to the Supreme Court after it had agreed to a consent judgment that led to the financial loss of $4.9 million.

Government in the White Paper insists the Commission should have recommended that every public officer found to have contributed to the ruckus that led to the payment of the judgment debt should be sanctioned.

In the White Paper, government holds that if the Attorney-General’s Department is not to be sanctioned, going back 16 years to conduct an investigation to identify public officers to be sanctioned was needless.

Meanwhile, on the payment of $51 million judgment debt to business man Alfred Woyome, government accepted recommendations of the Commission that it takes steps to recover the money because it was paid fraudulently.

Government also accepted recommendations of the Commission that steps be taken to retrieve 25 million Euros judgment debt paid to Waterville, and 480,000 cedis paid to Isofoton.

Also on African Automobile’s demand for millions of outstanding debt, government accepted the recommendation that EOCO investigates government officials responsible for the piled up debt.

Government also accepted the blacklisting of Africa Automobile if it does go to the negotiating table to settle the issue.