Two applications filed at the Supreme Court could delay former Attorney General, Martin Amidu’s oral examination of businessman Alfred Woyome which is expected to take place tomorrow [Thursday].<\/p>\n
One of the application is praying the Supreme Court to review the ruling of the court presided over by Justice Enin Yeboah a week ago.<\/p>\n
Justice Yeboah had approved Martin Amidu’s request to orally examine\u00a0Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the man at the centre of the controversial GHC 51 million judgement debt saga.<\/p>\n
The second application, on the other hand is a request for a stay of proceedings to enable the court determine the motion for review.<\/p>\n
A stay of proceedings is a ruling by the court in civil and criminal procedure, halting further legal process in a trial or other legal proceedings.<\/p>\n
Background<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Woyome was earlier ordered by the Supreme Court<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to appear in court for an oral examination over the controversial judgement debt saga.<\/p>\n The order followed an application filed by Mr. Amidu, praying the Supreme Court to allow him to orally examine Woyome, after the Attorney General (AG) discontinued the\u00a0process to examine him.<\/p>\n Justice Anin Yeboah, who gave the ruling argued that the applicant had the right to do that because he personally came to court to get a judgment to have Mr. Woyome pay back the GHc51 million cash he recieved as judgment debt.<\/p>\n The judge also indicated that, the application was granted because there was no evidence of execution before the court by the AG presently.<\/p>\n Mr. Amidu\u2019s action followed a move by the Attorney General\u2019s (AG) office, led by the Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, to discontinue an oral examination of Mr. Woyome, despite serving an earlier notice to do same.<\/p>\n The notice of discontinuance stated that \u201cplease take notice that the 1st Defendant Judgment Creditor [Attorney General] herein has this day [26th Day of October 2016] discontinued the present application to orally examine the 3rd Defendant Judgment Debtor [Alfred Agesi Woyome] with liberty to reapply.\u201d<\/p>\n This forced Mr. Amidu to file the application in court, in which he even alleged that President Mahama had ordered a discontinuation of the case because Mr. Woyome had threatened to expose officials of government and the NDC who benefited from the amount.<\/p>\n The AG\u2019s office arguing against Mr. Amidu\u2019s application in court, questioned his right to examine Mr. Woyome over the matter.<\/p>\n The\u00a0\u00a251 million judgement debt<\/strong><\/p>\n Alfred Woyome was paid \u00a251 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAN 2008 Nations Cup.<\/p>\n The Supreme Court in 2014 ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the amount, after Mr. Martin Amidu challenged the legality of the judgment debt paid the businessman, Waterville, and Isofoton.<\/p>\n Following delays in retrieving the money, the Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney-General clearance to execute the court\u2019s judgment ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.<\/p>\n Woyome prevents officials from valuing residence<\/strong><\/p>\n But Mr. Woyome in April 2016, prevented officials of the Attorney General\u2019s Department and the Lands Commission from having access to his Kpehe residence for valuation.<\/p>\n The move was part of a directive from the Supreme Court to retrieve monies paid to him.<\/p>\n Mr Woyome however resisted the move, saying the planned valuation was illegal.<\/p>\n Mr. Woyome had earlier won the criminal prosecution that sought to imprison him for the offence.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Marian Ansah\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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