Alfred Agbesi Woyome
Embattled National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who is being pursued by former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Martin A.B.K. Amidu, to return GH¢51.2 million he unlawfully received from the NDC government, says he got ‘confused’ when he decided to commence the refund.
Mr. Woyome insisted yesterday at a news conference in Accra that a GH¢4 million cheque he issued to the government as part payment of the GH¢51.2 million was not fake, saying, “I was just confused about recipient.”
He declared that by the time the matter was settled, he was going to be a rich man because he was going to sue all those who were making disparaging remarks about his controversial issue.
Phony Transaction
Mr. Amidu, recognized for his extensive campaign against corruption, exposed the current Attorney General on Thursday when he wrote that Mr. Woyome’s purported GH¢4 million cheque he issued to the government to cover part of the GH¢51.2 million debt might be a hoax.
The former AG is insisting that the GH¢4 million cheque raised by Mr. Woyome was a phony transaction concocted by the NDC government to hoodwink Ghanaians. He said that the only way the state could get the huge amount back was to vote out President John Mahama and his government on December 7.
“Does the Ghana government believe us to be so easily fooled that they concoct Woyome part payments of the judgment debt as smoke and mirrors for their election campaign? The people of Ghana should demand to know from government how its Attorney General can – in enforcing the order of the Supreme Court for Woyome to refund the unconstitutional payments made to him to the Republic of Ghana – accept a cheque of GH¢4,000,000.00 drawn by Woyome dated 4th November, 2016 in favour of the Economic and Organised Crime Office as part payment of the monies ordered by the Court to be refunded,” Mr Amidu said in a statement.
“The Attorney General accepted the Economic and Organised Crime Office cheque from Woyome and gave a receipt acknowledging the payment ‘as part payment for the Judgment Debt of GH¢51,283,483.59.’ The Access Bank (GH) East Cant cheque number 890081 and the Attorney General’s receipt which were exhibited to the Attorney General’s affidavit sworn by the Attorney General herself on 9th November, 2016 as Exhibits ‘AG 7’ and ‘AG7A’ are attached herewith in PDF for the public to judge how any Attorney General, worth the name, can accept a cheque drawn on the Economic and Organized Crime Office which was not party to the action as part payment of the refund ordered by the court on 29th July, 2014 for the Republic.”
Fights Back
Fighting back, Mr. Woyome held a news conference yesterday virtually threatening everybody, particularly media houses, with libel.
He said, “I don’t think I, sitting here, as a citizen, proud one of course, will try to play a prank on fellow Ghanaians. No, not at all! The so-called cheque was written by me. I made a cheque without writing who it’s meant for because I was confused as to who should be the recipient and after a meeting with the Attorney General in the presence of the Solicitor General.”
The embattled leading NDC member posited, “I’m determined to pay the GH¢51m,” adding that he was respecting the court’s directive to make the refund.
Payment Structure
“Alfred Woyome is determined to pay. Alfred Woyome has arrived at a payment structure with the Republic of Ghana through its constitutionally mandated Attorney General and Alfred Woyome will pursue that by God’s grace, to make sure the orders of the courts are respected,” he touted.
The Supreme Court has already granted Mr Amidu the chance to examine Mr Woyome on the matter after he got a favourable ruling in connection with an application to that effect.
The court, presided over by sole-judge Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah on Wednesday, granted Mr. Amidu, the anti-corruption crusader, leave to examine Mr. Woyome as to his means, with a view to making those means and assets available for enforcement.
The A G, Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, had been directed by the court to retrieve the money. However, two years later the money is yet to be returned to the State.
The AG wrote to the court on October 26, 2016 withdrawing an application, which was to enable her to interrogate the NDC financier about how he spent the money he took.
Ms Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong had argued that she withdrew the case because counsel for Woyome wrote to her that their client was ready to make part payment.
Mr Amidu, who has maintained that the NDC government is not committed to retrieving the money, alleged that powerful forces are afraid of being implicated, hence the decision to order the termination of the cross-examination by the president.
By William Yaw Owusu