Without naming any individuals, Mr. Amidu was of the firm belief that Mr. Woyome should have been prosecuted alongside his “accomplices”, in reference to his article titled ‘Woyome’s suspected crimes and the missing link.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”MtaqSsbriK8WwEXnljkIOl6dvEK3o0zy”]“As Attorney General, I had said that Woyome cannot be prosecuted alone and that all his accomplices must be prosecuted,” he told Parliament’s Appointments Committee during his vetting.

He further recalled that, during a meeting with lawyers in the Attorney General’s office, “they all agreed that part of the fault is from this house [the Attorney General’s office].”

Thus, Mr. Amidu maintained that “if we are going to prosecute, we should prosecute everybody involved and not Woyome alone.”

“That is one of the reasons why the hoodlums hounded me so that they would not be prosecuted. So Woyome alone was prosecuted and if you remember, in the judgment, the judge said that Woyome could not be prosecuted alone and that those who acted with him were not brought. So [John] Ajet-Nasam, who was proven to be a corrupt judge, later acquitted Woyome.”

“If I had prosecuted that case, together with the accomplices, the result would be different and my perception is that, the prosecution was bundled to get that guy out,” Mr. Amidu added.

Background

Mr. Woyome was paid GHc 51 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

The businessman had sued the state for a breach of contract relating to the construction and was awarded the default judgement because the state did not put in a defence.

However, an Auditor General’s report released in 2010 said the amount was paid illegally to the Mr.Woyome, who is a known National Democratic Congress financier.

He was subsequently arrested on February 3, 2011 after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which was commissioned by the late President John Atta Mills to investigate the matter, had cited him for wrongdoing.

Mr.Woyome was initially charged with conspiracy, defrauding by false pretence and corrupting a public officer.

He was later re-arraigned and charged with two counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence.

The interim report of EOCO, which was presented to the President on February 2, 2012, also indicted  Yaw Osafo Maafo, the then-Minister of Education, Youth and Sports and his deputy, Mr. O. B. Amoah.

But Mr Osafo-Maafo secured a court order which declared that EOCO’s investigation of him as illegal.

On June 5, 2012 Mr.Woyome was discharged but re-arrested and charged with two counts of causing financial loss and defrauding by false pretence.

The case unravelled until March 12, 2015, where the Fast Track High Court trying Mr. Woyome, again discharged him.

Delivering his judgment, Justice John Ajet-Nasam, said the State woefully failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr. Woyome was guilty.

Justice Ajet-Nasam also said there were no contradictions to the documentation evidence on the agreement for compensation claimed by the accused person.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ‘Woyome should go down with his accomplices’ – Amidu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The three-member panel presided over by Justice William Atuguba, threw out the application for lack of merit, and described it as a red herring introduced as a further illustration of Mr. Woyome’s ‘delay tactics.’

[contextly_sidebar id=”eMVJYQuFCYhwExQVAy72ux4TKUdTvped”]Mr. Woyome’s lawyers argued that the decision to orally examine him, breached his rights to privacy, and further challenged the capacity of Justice Benin to make the order.

Mr. Woyome has filed multiple suits since the beginning of his oral examination by the Attorney General in June 2017, to stall attempts by the state to retrieve the GHc 51 million.

In November 2017, Mr. Woyome filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking to halt all processes intended to retrieve the GHc51 million judgment debt wrongfully paid to him by the state.

He prayed the court to put on hold all processes to reclaim the money, until a determination of another related case being heard at the African Court of Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) in Tanzania.

This was after the African Court on November 24, 2017, ordered Ghana to suspend all efforts to retrieve the money, until it determines an appeal filed by Woyome, who argued that his human rights are being abused by Ghana’s Supreme Court.

But the Supreme Court, in making a determination on a similar application filed by Woyome for stay of proceedings pending the final outcome of the case before the African Court, argued that there was no real factual and legal basis for it to share its powers and jurisdiction with any other court, and so it cannot be compelled to halt the ongoing proceedings.

Background

Mr. Woyome was paid the GHc 51 million after claiming he helped Ghana raise funds to construct stadia for the hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

However, an Auditor General’s report released in 2010, held that the amount was paid illegally to him.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court in 2014 ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the money, after Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor nominee and a private legal practitioner at the time, challenged the legality of the payments.

Following delays in retrieving the money, Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney General clearance to execute the court’s judgment, ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.

There had been previous attempts to orally examine Mr. Woyome, with Mr. Amidu himself, in 2016, filing an application at the Supreme Court to find out how the businessman was going to pay back the money.

This came after the Attorney General’s office under the Mahama Administration, and led by the former Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, discontinued a similar application.

In February 2017 however, Mr. Amidu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgment debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Woyome’s oral examination to continue – Supreme Court orders appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to Reginald Seth Dogbe, this is aimed at safeguarding the interest of Mr. Woyome who they believe is being persecuted in Ghana.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AqxpcqBwVvoongfMFAxxwrHz7rkY7VZe”]“Like Mr. Woyome clearly stated it looks as if this matter concerning him is not prosecution but persecution where all his rights to fair hearing is being ignored. And he feels that the best forum where he can get fair justice as far as the ruling against him is concerned is outside and the human rights courts is one of those avenues because Ghana has signed to international protocols and some of those protocols have establish that very course and we can only do good to respect those international bodies,” he said on Eyewitness News on Friday.

Mr. Woyome’s petition to the International Chamber of Commerce court (ICC) to look into his case was thrown out on Thursday.

The ICC rejected Woyome’s petition citing Article 6(4) of its Arbitration Rules and also the lack of establishment of prima facie.

Prior to ICC’s ruling, Mr. Woyome had gone to the human rights court concerning some declarations made by Ghana’s Supreme Court some years back.

An earlier statement from Lawyers of Mr. Woyome insisted that “the Supreme Court of Ghana erred by linking Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the Waterville contract by ‘necessary linkage’ using the now ‘residual unspecified Jurisdiction’ to ground ‘Justice ‘as their main Principle in ordering a refund of monies paid to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome legally under the laws of Ghana.”

“Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome has sent this aspect of the case to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Right in Arusha Tanzania by invoking Article 40 read together with Article 75 of the 1992 constitution of The Republic of Ghana under case number Ref:AfCHPR/Reg./appl.001/2017/001. Ghana has ratified the necessary protocols of the African Court, recognized the competence of the African Court, and also submitted to the authority of the African Court. A preliminary determination of the case has been made and a prima facie case has been established by the African Court in favour of Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome and Ghana has been served all the necessary processes through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ghana,” the statement added.

Background

Mr. Woyome was paid the GHc 51 million after claiming he helped Ghana raise funds to construct stadia for the hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.

However, an Auditor General’s report released in 2010, held that the amount was paid illegally to him.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court in 2014 ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the money, after Martin Amidu, challenged the legality of the payments.

Following delays in retrieving the money, Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney General clearance to execute the court’s judgment, ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.

There had been previous attempts to orally examine Mr. Woyome, with Mr. Amidu himself, in 2016, filing an application at the Supreme Court to find out how the businessman was going to pay back the money.

This came after the Attorney General’s office under the Mahama Administration, led by the former Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, discontinued a similar application.

In February 2017 however, Mr. Amidu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgment debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post I trust Africa human rights court to be fair – Woyome appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

This was because Mr. Amidu, had prayed the court to give him the chance to examine Woyome, after the Attorney General’s office, which had earlier asked the court to offer them the same opportunity, discontinued the case.

Woyome, who has not been happy with the Supreme Court’s decision, has been speaking to the media.

He among other things accused the Supreme Court of persecuting him, and also said although he will pay the money, he will seek justice to clear his name.

Click below for full voice:

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Woyome’s outburst at Supreme Court over Amidu’s suit [Audio] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.