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Woyome case adjourned  for lack of  witnesses

Woyome case adjourned for lack of witnesses

The Financial Division of the Accra Fast Track High Court has adjourned to January 28, 2013, the criminal trial of businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome  because the prosecution could not produce witnesses to testify for it.

 

The court adjourned the case Tuesday at the instance of the prosecution.

 A Chief State Attorney, Mr Matthew Amponsah, apologised for the prosecution’s inability to produce a witness and prayed for an adjournment, which was upheld.

Mr Osafo Buabeng, lawyer for businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, informed the court that he intended to challenge the prosecution of the case without a substantive Attorney-General.

He indicated that in accordance with provisions of Article 88 of the 1992 Constitution, the Attorney-General, who is the principal legal adviser to the  government and initiates all criminal proceedings, must be present in order to perform those functions.

He said that without an Attorney-General, the case could not continue, and if by the next court date, no Attorney-General had been appointed, he would raise an objection against  the trial.

The court disagreed with counsel and indicated that without the Attorney-General, the matter could still go on.

Woyome is facing two counts of defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the state.

So far, about three prosecution witnesses have testified in the matter. They are the Deputy Head of the Legal Department at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP), Mrs Mangowa Ghanney; a former Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, and a former Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu.

The accused, who has denied any wrongdoing, is alleged to have made fraudulent claims to the government, resulting in the payment of GH¢51.2 million to him.

Story by Stephen Sah

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