- John Mantey files for default judgment against unauthorized fees.
- Lawsuit targets excessive fees, including demurrage
- Case could set a precedent for port fee disputes
John Mantey, chairman of the Tema chapter of the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, has requested a default judgment against several shipping lines.
Mantey’s legal action follows the shipping lines’ failure to provide a defense after their conditional appearance in court in late January. The lawsuit challenges what he terms as unauthorized fees imposed by shipping lines and their agents, including container administration fees, processing fees, evacuation fees, container cleaning fees, and demurrage charges applied on weekends and public holidays. The case has attracted significant attention within the shipping and logistics sectors, with stakeholders expressing concerns over what they consider excessive and unjustified charges at Ghanaian ports.
The chairman is seeking a court order to declare these fees illegal, mandate refunds to those affected, and prevent shipping lines from imposing similar charges in the future.
Legal experts suggest that if the court grants the default judgment, it could set a precedent for future disputes between freight forwarders and shipping companies regarding arbitrary port fees. Industry participants are closely following the case as the court prepares to rule on the default judgment request in the upcoming weeks.
It is worth recalling that the Institute previously took legal action against the Ship Owners and Agents Association and related shipping agencies over alleged unauthorized charges and escalating costs at the ports. The Freight Forwarders accused the shipping agencies of imposing unapproved fees.
In a writ filed on January 20, 2025, and seen by Citi Business News, the Freight Forwarders argued that these fees were introduced unlawfully, despite the Ghana Shippers Authority’s directive to stop additional port charges.
