Spokesperson of embattled businessman in the controversial GHc51 million judgment debt case has defended a decision by his boss, Alfred Agbesi Woyome to run to the Africa Court on Human and People\u2019s Right in Tanzania for redress.<\/p>\n
According to Reginald Seth Dogbe, this is aimed at safeguarding the interest of Mr. Woyome who they believe is being persecuted in Ghana.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”AqxpcqBwVvoongfMFAxxwrHz7rkY7VZe”]\u201cLike 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,\u201d he said on Eyewitness News<\/strong> on Friday.<\/p>\n Mr. Woyome\u2019s petition to the International Chamber of Commerce<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\u00a0court (ICC) to look into his case was thrown out on Thursday.<\/p>\n The ICC rejected Woyome\u2019s petition citing Article 6(4) of its Arbitration Rules and also the lack of establishment of prima facie.<\/p>\n Prior to ICC\u2019s ruling, Mr. Woyome had gone to the human rights court concerning some declarations made by Ghana\u2019s Supreme Court some years back.<\/p>\n An earlier statement from Lawyers of Mr. Woyome insisted that \u201cthe Supreme Court of Ghana erred by linking Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the Waterville contract by \u2018necessary linkage\u2019 using the now \u2018residual unspecified Jurisdiction\u2019 to ground \u2018Justice \u2018as their main Principle in ordering a refund of monies paid to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome legally under the laws of Ghana.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome has sent this aspect of the case to the African Court on Human and Peoples\u2019 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,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n Background<\/strong><\/p>\n Mr. Woyome was paid the GHc 51 million after claiming he helped Ghana\u00a0raise funds to construct stadia for the hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.<\/p>\n However, an Auditor General\u2019s report released in 2010, held that the amount was paid illegally to him.<\/p>\n Subsequently, the Supreme Court in 2014 ordered\u00a0Mr. Woyome to pay back the money, after Martin Amidu, challenged the legality of the payments.<\/p>\n Following delays in retrieving the money, 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 There had been previous attempts to orally examine Mr. Woyome, with\u00a0Mr. Amidu himself, in 2016, filing an application at the Supreme Court to find out how the businessman was going to pay back the money.<\/p>\n This came after the Attorney General\u2019s office under the Mahama Administration, led by the former Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong,\u00a0discontinued a similar application<\/a><\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n In February 2017 however, Mr. Amidu\u00a0withdrew his suit<\/a><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0seeking 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.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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