The Supreme Court has dismissed a suit challenging the legality of a government agreement with a Turkish company to provide 250megawatts power ship.

Although the court deferred to give reasons for its judgment later, it was unanimous that the Karpower deal did not need parliamentary approval.

The Member of Parliament for Juaben South, Mark Assibey Yeboah, filed the petition praying the Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of Attorney-General's position that the deal with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) did not need parliamentary approval.

Per the agreement, Karpowership was to build an emergency power barge for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to ease the power challenges in the country.

MP for Effutu, Mr Afenyo-Markin was reported on June 23 to have filed the suit along with the Juaben South MP. They explained they took the action after all efforts to get the government to send the Karpower agreement to parliament for scrutiny had failed.

Markins noted that the agreement smacked of some 'under­hand dealings' and that the nation was not in a position to throw more of taxpayers' money into the drain.

Afenyo-Markin, who is also a member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, had persistently raised the issue on the floor of the House in respect of Article 181 (Clause 5) of the 1992 Constitution, which states that every international financial agreement by government must be brought to parliament for approval.

Upon such persistence, the Speaker of parliament ordered the Minister of Finance to bring the Karpower agreement to the House but since March when the order was given, the minister had failed to produce the agreement.

It compelled the speaker to allow the Effutu MP to resort to the courts for determination of the case.

The Minority in Parliament insisted that government sought parliamentary approval before proceeding with the deal but government argued otherwise.

More to follow....