October 22, 1984

Nzeribe awarded $20m in damages

The Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in The Hague has awarded $20 million damages against the Chad government for wrongly breaking loan and commission agreements with two London Chad based companies Sogal and Flint- grange, represented by Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe and others.

Under the 1980 agreements, Chief Nzeribe's company was to have made available to the Chad government headed then by Goukhonni Weddeye $25 million and the Chad government would have repaid this sum the following year together with a further sum of $25 million.

Even though the claimants made a submission for a full $25 million fee, as a claim in debt, the International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration was of the view that the claim against was properly a claim for damages for a breach of contract.

The damages were consequently calculated on the $25 million fee. The Court of Arbitration was constituted by the following: Mr Ian Reinier Voute, an Amsterdam Lawyer as chair- man, Mr Michael Andrew Flemying Lyndon-Stanford, Queen's counsel and Mr Sitswila Amos Wako, a Kenyan Advocate.