He said Mr. Woyome’s “day of reckoning will come” as the state is will employ every legitimate means to retrieve the money.

[contextly_sidebar id=”zzP0QZ3TaDgWvylZgSd2aEGiypqgeNRz”]The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an application by businessman Alfred Woyome, which sought to stop the seizure and valuation of his properties by the state.

His application came after state officials stormed one of his residences at the plush Trasaco vicinity, to value the property earlier this month.

The court presided by a sole judge, Justice Alfred Benin, described the application as one without merit hence his decision.

The ruling by the court paves the way for the state to continue with the valuation of the properties of Mr. Woyome in its quest to retrieve the money he owes from the judgment debt wrongfully paid to him.

Godfred Dame, who spoke to the media after Friday’s proceedings, said the state is determined to recover the money from Woyome, and will not be deterred by the tactics employed by Woyome to impede the process.

“I can assure you that, nothing will hinder the state in its efforts to recover the money. These are all ploys that will be swept away. No impediment, whatsoever that is placed in the way of the state by Mr. Woyome will prevent the state from recovering the money. Surely the day of reckoning will come,” he said.

Background to saga

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 a former Attorney General, 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, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to examine Alfred Woyome, on how he was going to pay back the money, 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. Amdu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgement debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

–

By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Woyome’s day of reckoning will come – Deputy AG appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Woyome was expected to be orally examined today, Monday, October 2, by a Deputy Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame over his GH¢51 debt to the state.

[contextly_sidebar id=”a9b3QL6c0DDdN6V46gWGwUco2QsHZKtf”]But the court has since set October 10 as the new date for the oral examination.

A Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Dame, in July began an inquiry into sources of income and assets of the businessman in order to recover the monies due to the state.

The last hearing of the case at the Supreme Court witnessed an almost two-hour grilling of Mr. Woyome by the deputy Attorney-General.

Mr. Woyome had prayed the Supreme Court to stay proceedings on the oral examination since he had filed for a review of the case.

But the Supreme Court dismissed the application for stay of proceedings by Businessman Alfred Woyome, seeking to halt the oral examination.

According to the court, presided over by a single Judge, Justice Alfred Benin, the application had no basis.

Earlier this month, the government began a valuation of Woyome’s properties in a quest to retrieve the GHs51m wrongfully paid to him.

Some security personnel and officials from the Ghana Valuation Board, were sent to the Trasacco residence of Mr. Woyome to conduct the valuation to build a concrete evidence on his ability to pay the debt for his trial.

Background to saga

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 a former Attorney General, 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, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to examine Alfred Woyome, on how he was going to pay back the money, 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. Amdu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgement debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

–

By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Woyome oral examination adjourned appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Dame in July began an inquiry into sources of income and assets of the businessman in order to recover the monies due to the state.

The last hearing of the case at the Supreme Court witnessed an almost two-hour grilling of Mr. Woyome by the deputy AG.

Mr. Woyome had prayed the Supreme Court to stay proceedings on the oral examination since he had filed for a review of the case.

But the Supreme Court dismissed the application for stay of proceedings by Businessman Alfred Woyome, seeking to halt an oral examination by the Attorney General.

According to the court, presided over by a single Judge, Justice Alfred Benin, the application had no basis.

Background to saga

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 a former Attorney General, 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, filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to examine Alfred Woyome, on how he was going to pay back the money, 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. Amdu withdrew his suit seeking an oral examination, explaining that the change of government and the assurance by the new Attorney General to retrieve all judgement debts wrongfully paid to individuals, had given him renewed confidence in the system.

–

By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post AG resumes oral examination of Woyome today appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to sources at the Attorney General’s office, some security personnel and officials from the Ghana Valuation Board, were sent to the Trasacco residence of Mr. Woyome to value the property.

[contextly_sidebar id=”twMUl1qKAnAXOjORjt4sX1PLhD6LZApJ”]The source further indicated that the action is part of processes to furnish the Supreme Court with concrete evidence in the ongoing oral examination of Mr. Woyome, over his capability to refund the money.

The state has been hounding Mr. Woyome since 2012, over the GHc51 million paid him in a default judgment in 2010.

He has appeared to be orally examined by the Attorney General’s office on issues pertaining to whether he owes any debts, whether he has property to satisfy the debt, and the manner in which he used the judgment debt money paid him, among other things.

This appearance saw Mr. Woyome reveal he had been out of business since 2012, as he lost all his businesses after his arrest in 2011 and subsequent trial.

Background to saga

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.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t officials troop to value Woyome’s Trasacco home appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It also urged the AG’s department to pursue the case to its logical conclusion to ensure Woyome repays the full amount.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BGXNbosetRiA9hNiDmg2j7gIZwvVOijB”]The AG’s Department has applied to the court to order the oral examination of Mr Woyome’s assets for failure to pay judgment debt owed Ghana and the apparent non-availability Woyome’s assets against which the judgment may be executed.

The Attorney General in a writ to the court prayed that it orders Mr Woyome to be examined orally on his assets.

This comes after Woyome failed to pay the judgement debt to the country despite a Supreme Court order to pay back the GH¢51million judgement debt in 2014.

A former Attorney General, Martin Amidu challenged the legality of the payment of the judgment debt to Mr Woyome, Waterville and Isofoton, leading to a court action to demand that the money be paid back to the state.

OccupyGhana in a statement on Tuesday said it was “gratified” to learn of the developments on the matter.

“This step can be very effective because it is not only intended to be a mere examination of the debtor, but a cross-examination, and that of the severest kind, as to his means. Thus, a debtor would be compelled by the court to disclose where all of his assets are, and if they have been sold or paid out, how that happened. If the debtor does not disclose the assets or tells lies, he could be imprisoned for contempt or worse, tried and sentenced for perjury,” it said.

OccupyGhana said although the AG’s action has been long overdue, it will help bring to book persons who have unlawfully received money from government.

It said, “We believe that for the people of Ghana, this will be an opportunity to discover exactly what happened to our monies that were wrongfully paid to Woyome, and to recover those monies”

“While expressing our satisfaction with the latest and drastic step, however belated it has been, we wish to notify the Attorney-General that we are monitoring this process and the execution of the court order very closely. We believe that the Attorney-General is taking all of these steps, however belatedly, in a genuine attempt to recover the monies that Woyome still owes to Ghana. We also believe that this process will be followed through without fear or favour, or any delays or attempts to vacate the court order or discontinue this crucial enforcement step,” it concluded.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post OccupyGhana commends AG for pursuing Woyome case appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The budget details for the Black Stars participation at the 2014 World Cup is a state secret, according to Ibrahim Sannie Daara.

The Director of Communications at the Ghana Football Association was reacting to the news broken by two media outlets, Citi FM and the Captivating Ghana Sports newspaper, that they had details of the breakdown of the budget for the tournament.

“As we speak now those figures speculated in the media have got no legs to stand on,” Sannie said in a debate on the state-owned Ghana  Television.

“I’d say with no equivocation that as I sit here as Director of Communications of the GFA, I’ve not seen the breakdown.”

“The Chief of Staff has said that this is a state secret and if someone brings it and if I am not able to authenticate it, I will say that person s carrying a false document.”

The former BBC journalist had been invited to GTV’s Sunday Night Live show hosted by Christopher Opoku and Karl Tufuoh.

Also invited were the Sports Editor of Peace FM, Dan Kweku Yeboah and Gary Al-Smith, Citi Sports’ editor.

Last week, Yeboah and Al-Smith released figures from documents they had intercepted which showed that, among other things, the  officials who make up the Black Stars management committee will get slightly more bonuses than the players themselves during the group stages of the World Cup.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL CITI SPORTS STORY ON WORLD BUDGET

“Show me the documents”

But even though Sannie admitted that he had not seen the budget breakdown, he insisted that what the two journalists were reporting were “concoctions”, going further to call Al-Smith a “liar” who uses lies as his “stock in trade.”

The FA spokesman challenged the two journalists to show him documents from the office of the Chief of Staff, which is – according to him – the only place the breakdown could have been leaked from.

“If anybody comes out with any breakdown, unless I see the documents as authentic from the Chief of Staff’s Office I will say that [whatever they have as a] document is a ruse,” Sannie said.

Sannie revealed that after meetings with the Chief of Staff, everyone present had been charged not to discuss the details of the budget, but quickly dismissed claims that the GFA do not want the public to know.

On his part, Dan Kweku Yeboah also contended that taxpayers’ money cannot be used for projects and be labelled state secrets, “unless they think there are things to hide from the people of Ghana.”

Citi Sports editor Al-Smith also pointed out that as a fundamental principle of journalism, he was under no obligation to disclose sources.

Al-Smith told the FA spokesman: “You’ve been a journalist for more than 15 years. Look at me very carefully, do I look like a journalist who will disclose my sources to you?”

A visibly angry Sannie charged: “How dare you talk to me like that?”

The program remained heated until  it had to be abruptly ended by the hosts.

When contacted, producers at GTV however told Citi Sports that the show was ended because it had overrun and not because of an order from senior management, as was widely speculated in the past few days.

WATCH VIDEO 

By: Citi Sports Desk

The post VIDEO: Ghana budget details for World Cup is a state secret – Sannie Daara appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.