Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome on Thursday prevented officials of the Attorney General’s department and the Lands Commission from having access to his Kpehe residence for valuation.
The state is attempting to retrieve some ¢51 million paid to him as judgment debt in 2010.
[contextly_sidebar id=”4ymQ8AyvKaqsUz2rmHZyjxWGzXB1Hy7K”]The move is part of a directive from the Supreme Court to retrieve monies illegally paid to him.
But Woyome resisted the move, saying the planned valuation was illegal.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Woyome said: “This is an illegality because there is a process which I showed them which the AG is aware of since March. My lawyer wrote to them today because the AG wrote and said there was no process and they attacked the process which they know about so I am wondering why they want this media drama.”
“ I am not going to stand here for such things again. It will not happen again so I am serving notice. You should understand that I have had enough of this, five years is enough.I will not be provoked because I know this media thing. I still maintain that what I did by going to court was right and I encourage every Ghanaian to do that. Do not be afraid of anything …” he added
Facts of the case
Alfred Woyome was paid ¢51 million for helping Ghana raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAN 2008 Nations Cup. However an Auditor General’s report released in 2010 said the amount was paid illegally to the NDC financier. The report triggered nationwide controversy with critics accusing government of misappropriating funds.
Officials of the New Patriotic Party who were in government during the CAN 2008 tournament said Woyome did no work to be paid that whopping sum of money. The then Attorney General Joe Ghartey said Woyome was contracted to help in raising money for the construction works but he failed to meet the deadline.
He said the NPP government had no choice than to abrogate the contract with Woyome. When the NPP left office in 2009, Alfred Woyome proceeded to court claiming his contract was illegally terminated and was demanding a judgment debt well over 2 million cedis.
The government failed to defend the state. Rather the then Attorney General under the late Mills administration Betty Mould Iddrisu is said to have negotiated with Woyome for him to reduce his demand on government. He did and requested for 51 million cedis instead. The government went to court with a consent judgement.
The court accepted and asked the AG to pay in three tranches of 17 million cedis to the plaintiff. The court was however emphatic that only the first tranche be paid until after the trial.
The court again asked Woyome to present an undertaking that in the event he loses he would refund the first tranche of 17 million cedis but if wins the state will pay the two other tranches left. Betty Mould Iddrisu however decided to pay all the three tranches. Her Deputy Ebo
Barton Oduro later publicly defended the payment to Woyome.
Martin Amidu
In 2010 Martin Amidu was appointed Attorney General to replace Betty Mould Iddrisu who was sent to the Education Ministry. That appointment and revelations in the 2010 Audit report changed the dynamics of the Woyome scandal. Amidu had Woyome arrested and charged for causing financial loss to the state.
Two others, including Nerquaye Tetteh, the chief state attorney were also arrested. Whilst prosecuting the case, Martin Amidu was sacked from government under mysterious circumstances with Marietta Brew Hammond appointed to take his place.
Civil Case
Martin Amidu however proceeded to the Supreme Court as a private citizen and managed to secure a judgement for the state to retrieve the millions of cedis paid illegally to Waterville.
But the judges stayed a verdict on the case Amidu brought before them because the matter was pending before the High Court.
He later went on a review and had the court rule in his favour. Woyome was asked to refund the 51 million cedis to the state.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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