The Legal team for the Ivory Coast has shot back at Ghana, arguing that authorities here cannot continue behaving like they are in their home territory when they continue to explore oil within the disputed maritime boundary.
On day two of legal proceedings at the International Tribunal of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany, Ivory Coast is questioning the credibility of data and maps presented by Ghana to justify their claim over the TEN fields operated by British company, Tullow Oil.
“Ghana is behaving like they are on home ground on that area”, an Ivorian lawyer fired during the hearing which was monitored live my Myjoyonline.com.
Ghana yesterday argued that if the court upheld Ivory Coast’s claim over the oil fields, it would result in “inherently unquantifiable” and “incalculable” loss to Ghana.
An external lawyer for Ghana puts Tullow’s losses to $2.2billion for the INVESTMENT in the fields which Ghana argues is about 50% complete.
Attorney-General Marrietta Brew Oppong-Appiah [in the middle] during court proceedings
Ghana also said any decision to take away the oil field would affect its budget, payment for health and education of citizens and deprive the country of revenue of about $2.7billion.
Ghana dismissed the claims by the Ivory Coast that it will suffer “irreparable” loss if the oil field were taken from them.
But taking another turn this morning, Ivory Coast is using Ghana’s own words against her saying Ivory Coast cannot also calculate their loss because as Ghana claims the loss is “inherently unquantifiable”.
If Ghana believes the loss to them will be “inherently unquantifiable” why would they suggest that Ivory Coast should be able to calculate their loss, an external lawyer argued.
According to Ivory Coast, if they were exploring the fields under dispute, it would have also “naturally” affect their economy, hence Ghana cannot claim loss under the circumstance.
The court is on recess. Ghana’s Attorney-General is expected to have another go later in the afternoon.
