OccupyGhana decries A-G’s stance on woyome
The decision of the Attorney-General (A-G) not to orally examine business man Alfred Agbesi Woyome in relation to a GH¢51 million judgement debt that was paid to him by the state has been criticised by OccupyGhana, a pressure group.
Advertisement
In a notice of discontinuance filed at the Supreme Court, the A-G declined to question Mr Woyome at the apex court, in spite of an earlier application it filed last week to do so.
Per the earlier application, Mr Woyome would have been orally examined by the A-G on November 10, 2016.
“Please take notice that the 1st Defendant Judgment Creditor [Attorney General] herein has this day [26th Day of October 2016] discontinued the present application to orally examine the 3rd Defendant Judgment Debtor [Alfred Agbesi Woyome] with liberty to reapply,’’ the notice said.
OccupyGhana
In a press statement, Occupy Ghana said the A-G’s decision had exposed the lack of commitment on the part of the government to retrieve the money as ordered by the Supreme Court.
“It is clear to us that this government and its Attorney-General are either scared of Woyome or do not have the moral courage to pursue him for our money,’’ it said.
The oral examination, the group claimed, would have helped the A-G’s course in retrieving the money.
“We can now reveal that immense pressure was brought to bear on the Attorney-General’s Department to abandon that process. The key concern, we learnt, had to do with Woyome being compelled to disclose how he spent the money and the names of all the persons who benefitted from the money,’’ it said.
The pressure group, therefore, called on all Ghanaians to add their voice to ensure that the money was retrieved.
“While expressing our disgust at this shameful tactic, we are confident that the Supreme Court, which has proved to be the last bastion in the fight against corruption, will not let the people of this country down. Although the Supreme Court may be our last hope, we encourage all well-meaning Ghanaians to make their voices heard on this,” it said.
Woyome saga
Mr Woyome obtained a judgement debt of GH¢51 million after he had claimed that he was instrumental in raising funds to construct stadia for the 2008 African Nations Cup.
He was charged by the A-G for allegedly using fraudulent means to obtain the money.
However, the High Court and the Court of Appeal cleared him of all criminal charges.
But he was ordered to refund the money after the Supreme Court had ruled that Parliament did not ratify the contract that gave rise to the judgement debt.
#Woyome