DISCLAIMER

The attention of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS has been drawn to a fake and mischievous reportage titled “ECOWAS Court Dismisses Case against Ghana” in an online publication on the 20^th of November 2013, by one Malik Abass Daabu, on www.myjoyonline.com.

In the report related to a 2013 case filed by Nigerian traders against the government of Ghana, the court purportedly rejected the argument of the traders that sections of the new Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC) Act which bar foreigners from engaging in retail trade in the country’s markets were in violation of the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of people and goods.

It also purportedly upheld the submissions of the government in which it, “among other things, argued that the law was necessary to protect Ghana’s domestic interests and could not have been said to violate the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement of people and goods.”

The said report is false and baseless and was fabricated with the sole intention of misleading members of the public and should therefore be disregarded in its entirety.

By this Disclaimer, the ECOWAS Court of Justice is condemning the said report and disowning the purported judgment, as the Court did not deliver any such judgment. The case was struck out by the Court on the 5^th of November, 2013 for want of diligent prosecution, due to the absence in Court of the Counsel to the Applicants, with costs of N800, 000 (eight hundred thousand naira) awarded in favour of the Defendant.

The case was never heard on the merits and the Court did not deliver any judgment in the case. The Court therefore did not accept nor reject the submissions of any of the parties as falsely claimed in the said publication.

We therefore urge the members of the public and Community Citizens to completely disregard the said report in the online publication, as it is false, mischievous and a complete fabrication.

DONE AT ABUJA, THIS 31^ST DAY OF AUGUST, 2020

[SIGNED]

Hon. Edward Amoako Asante

President,

Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS

Abuja – Nigeria.