Amidu advocates change in govt
A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Alimisi Amidu, has said the judgement debt paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome can only be retrieved if there is a change in government.
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“I am a senior and foundation member of the NDC, the governing party, but I am compelled to put Ghana first and to defend the 1992 Constitution by saying that the only way Ghanaians can have the Woyome/Austro-Invest joint loot refunded is to change the government that created, looted and shared the loot with them during the presidential election this year.”
He added, “A new government will prosecute Woyome under Article 2 (3) and (4) of the 1992 Constitution for High Crime should he delay any further in refunding the unconstitutional loot. The new government will also enforce the Waterville judgement debt of over 47 million euros loot or prosecute it for high crime.”
In a statement issued in Accra last Thursday, Mr Amidu said that was the only way out for Ghanaians to stand up for their constitutional rights and to retrieve the unconstitutional monies created, looted and shared by the government with its political party supporters who were now unconstitutional judgement debtors to the Republic.
“As a loyal NDC member, I will support most of my political party’s parliamentary candidates who have shown honesty and integrity to the Constitution.
“But I cannot in good conscience and in defence of the Constitution support its presidential candidate to continue leading the looting of the public purse,” the statement said.
Obstacle
Mr Amidu said despite fighting for two long years for justice for the 1992 Constitution, the government had unfortunately, as “the leading looter”, put obstacles in the way of enforcing the orders of the court.
“Fellow citizens, help me in the name of the Constitution to retrieve your money that was looted by voting for a new President. Let us protect our constitutional rights and not be hoodwinked by electioneering ploys. Let us get our GH¢51,283,483.59 back,” the statement said, adding, “Defend the 1992 Constitution by voting for a new President on December 7, 2016, to get our money back. God bless Ghana and put Ghana First!”
He questioned why the Attorney-General accepted a GH¢4 million cheque issued in the name of the EOCO as part payment of the GH¢51.2 million when the EOCO was not party to the action.
“I say with all the strength at my disposal that a cheque drawn by Woyome in favour of the Economic and Organised Crime Office, which was not a party to the action or the judgment creditor, cannot be a cheque in part payment of the unconstitutional monies ordered by the court to be refunded to the Republic,” the statement said.
He said the whole scheme of Woyome paying the GH¢4 million appeared to have been “cooked to defeat” his application for leave to examine Woyome orally on oath.
Mr Amidu said in the government and Woyome’s hurry to defeat his application, they could not even cover their tracks with a cheque drawn on the Ministry of Finance or the Accountant-General as custodian of the Consolidated Fund.
He said the cheque could also have been drawn on the Registrar of the Supreme Court and paid into court for the Republic.
“The foregoing is evidence, if evidence be needed, that the Attorney-General and the government are determined to kill the non-refund of the judgement debt as an election issue by cooking up the deceptive cheque and receipt to allow the status quo to continue,” Mr Amidu stressed.
Background
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, granted permission to anti-corruption crusader Mr Amidu to orally examine Woyome over his assets.
The court’s directive is aimed at eventually retrieving a total of GH¢51.2 million judgement debt paid to him but Mr Woyome says he is being persecuted by the court.
Mr Woyome has subsequently been ordered to appear before the court on Thursday, November 24, 2016 to be orally examined by Mr Amidu.
Monies Paid
On April 6, 2016, the Attorney-General initiated garnishee proceedings to issue against the managers of ADB Bank, Uni Bank (Ghana) Limited and UT Bank.
So far, the garnishee has yielded the following amounts; GH¢966.58, GH¢29,515.95, GH¢1,008.70, US$98.17, US$32,779.68, US$223.08 and 1,226.72 Euros, which have since been paid into the bank account of the Attorney-General’s office at the Bank of Ghana – following an order to that effect granted by Mr Justice Yeboah.
Quick read
A former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Martin Alimisi Amidu, says the judgement debt paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome can only be retrieved if there is a change in government.
