Former President Jerry John Rawlings has chastised state prosecutors for doing a “shoddy job” with the GH 51.2 million judgement debt case against businessman Alfred Woyome.
[contextly_sidebar id=”1p14HQnlTkijkBhayqCMVARXe6Jyl0qi”]Woyome who was standing trial on two counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence was acquitted and discharged by an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday on both counts.
Mr. Rawlings who was not so enthused by the turn of events said: “The extent of corruption I have been talking about . I just read that the thief called Woyome had been freed. Why because his accomplices [Betty Mould and one other person] who were in government were not produced in court for vital evidence to incriminate him.”
The Judge, Justice Ajet-Nasam ruled that the state did a poor job on the case by failing to call key witnesses who could have helped the prosecutors’ case.
Giving his ruling, the Judge further stated that he was not convinced by the prosecution’s case, especially when they failed to present key witnesses – Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Ebo Barton Oduro – who were attorney general and deputy respectively when the judgment debt was paid.
Commenting on that Rawling said because Woyome’s accomplices were “spared he also went scot free.”
“The corruption in government keeps worsening. At the Attorney General’s office, individuals who collaborated with Woyome should have been called but they were spared. How can we tackle the canker when all these things are going on. We are not serious,” he said sternly.
Mr. Rawlings made these statements when the family of one Isaac Tetteh called on him at his residence to inform him about the death of their loved one.
Woyome’s ruling was lenient
Meanwhile, some political parties have expressed their displeasure with Woyome’s ruling.
The Progressive People’s Party(PPP) has described the ruling as lenient, saying the Judge gave such a ruling because government was not committed to the case.
Reacting to the High Court’s decision to set Alfred Agbesi Woyome free, Kofi Asamoah Siaw said there were indications that government was not serious about prosecuting the case.
“There was no seriousness about this case…and [it is evident]in the government’s assertion that it is fighting corruption”
He recalled that “there were many days that the case was postponed because prosecutors did not turn up”
For his part the General Secretary of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah believes state prosecution has always been shoddy and that resulted in this outcome.
“I have insisted that state prosecution has been always been suspicious because we don’t know whose interests they are serving .It is obvious that there was no work done in this case and therefore making the case for Woyome and his lawyers very easy,” he stated.
He wondered why most of state actors involved in the matter were not called to testify or appear as witnesses on the matter.
Click on audio to listen to the former President
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By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah