Hasty cancellation of AKSA contract could trigger judgment debt – Deputy AG warns

Deputy Attorney General Dr Justice Srem-Sai has advised against the premature cancellation of the AKSA power deal, warning that doing so could result in a judgment debt for the state. Speaking to JoyNews, Dr Srem-Sai acknowledged concerns over the deal following the US conviction of a former Goldman Sachs banker for bribery. He explained that terminating the agreement without establishing the legal grounds for doing so could expose the state to a judgment debt.

The Deputy AG emphasized that the government would need to conduct a thorough review of the agreement to determine if the bribery conviction provides grounds for invalidating the contract. He also cautioned against treating bribery and fraud as equivalent legal concepts, stating that they are distinct. Dr Srem-Sai stressed that if investigations confirm the contract was procured through fraud, it could be invalidated, but such a conclusion must be based on evidence from proper investigations.

He reiterated that the government cannot simply cancel the agreement based on an individual's conviction for bribery. Further due diligence would be necessary before any decision on the AKSA deal's future, with the government advising once proper investigations are concluded.