I’ll pay GH¢51million by December – Woyome promises

• Posted on March 31, 2015March 31, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Lawyer for businessman Alfred Woyome says the controversial 51 million cedis paid as judgment debt to the National Democratic Congress financier will be refunded to the state by end of the year.

Osafo Buabeng told a panel of Supreme Court judges Tuesday, his client Alfred Woyome had already met with the Attorney General on four occasions to discuss a payment plan.

The Attorney General proceeded to the Supreme Court seeking directions on how to retrieve judgment debts illegally paid by the state to Woyome, Waterville, and Isofoton.

After he was removed from office under controversial circumstances, former Attorney General and Citizen Vigilante Martin Amidu had single handedly challenged the legality of judgment debts fraudulently paid to the institutions and individuals and prayed the Supreme Court to have the defendants refund the monies to the state.

The Supreme Court agreed with the arguments by Amidu and ordered the defendants to refund the monies to the state.

The Attorney General, whose duty it is to retrieve the monies went back to the Supreme Court asking for directions on how to retrieve the monies.

Given the fact that it was Martin Amidu, a citizen who won the case against Woyome, et al at the Supreme Court, the AG wanted to find out if it has the locus to go after the monies.

Joy News’ Kwakye Afreh-Nuamah who was present in court reported that the defendants challenged the decision by the Attorney General to return to the Supreme Court for directions when the court had ruled on the matter and had asked that the monies be retrieved.

The nine Supreme Court panel which included Chief Justice Georgina Wood, and Justice William Atuguba ruled that the Attorney General has the locus to go after the money and enquired from the defendant when they were going to pay the monies.

Woyome’s lawyer promised to pay back the money by the end of the year.

It is not clear yet when Waterville and Isofoton would also refund the monies to the state.

The three defendants had on separate occasions fraudulently received monies paid in the name of judgment debt.

Woyome received 51 million cedis whilst Waterville also received 24 million euros under very controversial circumstances.

Isofoton was also paid about 400,000 dollars over claims a contract signed with the Kufuor government was wrongfully abrogated.

By: Nathan Gadugah