Alfred Agbesi Woyome
The Supreme Court has set July 4 to rule on an application filed by National Democratic Congress (NDC) businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, seeking to temporarily halt his oral examination by the Attorney General over the GH¢51.2 million supposed judgement debt paid to him by the state.
The court, presided over by sole judge, Justice A.A. Benin, is expected to determine whether or not the businessman could be orally quizzed by the state over the controversial cash.
It would be recalled that the court, at its previous sitting, placed an embargo on the shares owned by the businessman in 11 companies, following his GH¢51.2 million indebtedness to the state.
Mr Woyome’s affected shares include those in Anator Holding Company Limited, AAW Management Consulting Services Limited, Green Township Security Services Company Limited, Anator Construction Company Limited, Woyome Brothers International Limited and Stewise Anator Company Limited.
The rest are Stewise Shopping Company Limited, Green Townships and Industrial Parks Development Company Limited, Anator Power Company Limited, Green Townships (GH) Company Limited and Special Economic Zone International Trading Company Limited.
Per the order, Mr. Woyome was also to appear before the court yesterday to explain why the embargo should not be made permanent.
“A copy of the order should be served on the said judgement/debtor to appear before this court on Thursday, 29th June, 2017 to show cause why the charging order should not be made absolute,’’ the order stated.
The order follows a motion filed by the Attorney General (AG) on May 17, 2017 praying the court to impose a “charging order” on all the shares owned by the businessman in the 11 companies.
But Ken Anku, lawyer for the embattled businessman, obviously unenthused by the order, told the court yesterday that the applicant had filed for review of the decision of the sole judge.
Quoting Article 134 (b) of the 1992 Constitution, he said the said article gives the applicant the right to seek a review of the decision of the sole judge for the sake of justice and fairness.
Mr. Anku argued that it was unfair for the court to go ahead with the execution of the order they seek to overturn before a three-member panel of justices on July 18.
He stated among others that his client would suffer irreparable damage if the state started to attach Mr. Woyome’s properties.
Godfred Yeboah Dame, a Deputy Attorney General, noted that Mr. Woyome had again failed to show that he would suffer any irreparable damage if the order of the court was executed.
In the view of the deputy AG, the applicant had failed to satisfy the essential ingredients for stay of execution, adding that the application is an attempt to evade the execution of the court’s judgement.
Mr Dame contended that justice and fairness would rather be served if the proceedings continued.
The order followed a motion filed by the AG on June 2, 2017, praying the court to be given the opportunity to orally examine the businessman.
The oral examination, the court ordered, would border on whether Mr. Woyome owed the state any debt and whether he had “any property for satisfying the judgement of the court, dated July 29, 2014.”
Also, the oral examination, according to the court, would be premised on whether Woyome “has any means of satisfying the judgement of this court, dated July 29, 2014” and the manner in which he “used the money paid to him by the Republic of Ghana.”
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@gmail.com