Amidu stands down decision to cross-examine Woyome
A former Attorney-General (A-G) and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Alamisi Amidu, yesterday withdrew a case in which he was seeking to cross-examine Mr Alfred Woyome over the delay in the repayment of the GH¢51.2 million judgment debt paid to Woyome.
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Appearing at the Supreme Court, Mr Amidu, who represented himself, explained that the withdrawal of the suit was because the new A-G, Ms Gloria Akuffo, had expressed interest in retrieving the money from Mr Woyome.
According to Mr Amidu, he had brought the suit when he thought the previous government and the A-G at that time had no intention of retrieving Mr Woyome’s money.
“Continuing the matter is needless, as the new A-G has expressed interest to retrieve the money. I would, therefore, want the application withdrawn,” Mr Amidu told the court, presided over by Mr Justice Anin Yeboah, the sole judge.
Case withdrawn
Mrs Dorothy Afriyie Ansah, a Chief State Attorney who represented the A-G, said she had no objection to the withdrawal of the application.
Mr Ken Anku, who represented Mr Woyome, said he had only heard the new A-G say that “she will review the case of Mr Woyome and know what to do next”.
The sole judge, therefore, struck out the case as withdrawn.
Mr Amidu had gone to the Supreme Court seeking the orders of the court to cross-examine Woyome on the repayment of the money after the A-G’s office, led by Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong, a former A-G, had filed an application to discontinue the cross-examination of Mr Woyome.
The Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah, had granted Mr Amidu’s application to cross-examine Mr Woyome, but a private legal practitioner, Mr K. Ametepe, had challenged the locus of the sole judge to rule on the matter.
Background
Mr Woyome was paid GH¢51.2 million after claiming he had helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for the hosting of the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court, in 2014, ordered Mr Woyome to pay back the money after Mr Amidu had challenged the legality of the payment.
Mr Woyome, on November 23, this year, filed a motion on notice seeking to reverse the ruling of the Supreme Court granting Mr Amidu the green light to cross-examine him.
The Supreme Court granted the former A-G the go-ahead to examine the businessman over the GH¢51.2 million paid to him as judgement debt.
Mr Amidu wanted to know how Mr Woyome had spent the money paid to him in 2010.
That, he said, was crucial in ensuring a speedy retrieval of the money, which he said was paid to Woyome for no work done.