Pressure group, CitizenGhana Movement has lauded former Attorney General, Martin Amidu for his determination to retrieve a ¢51million wrongly paid to businessman, Alfred Woyome.
The group, in a statement on Thursday, November 17 said a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court yesterday to allow Martin Amidu orally cross-examine Mr Woyome was a significant “boost in the fight against corruption.”
It said the ruling “empowers all citizens to live true to the constitutional obligation to protect and preserve the public purse.”
The Public Relations Officer of the group, Stephen Anti in an interview on the Citi Prime News said, it is ready to support Mr Amidu pursue the case to retrieve all the monies paid by the state to Woyome.
He said the group has initiated moves to create a fund that will financially support Martin Amidu’s quest to retrieve the money for the country.
He, however said the group does not believe President Mahama must necessarily be voted out to power before the money can be retrieved as specified by Martin Amidu in arecent statement.
CITIZENGHANA MOVEMENT SPURS ON HON. MARTIN AMIDU IN THE QUEST TO RETRIEVE THE GHC51.2 MILLION FROM ALFRED AGBESI WOYOME
On Wednesday 16th November, 2016, the Supreme Court delivered a ruling whose effect will be to compel Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome to appear before the apex court to be examined on oath by Hon. Martin Amidu concerning the retrieval of the GHC51.2 million which the Court held in July 2014 to have been wrongfully paid to Mr. Woyome.
Ghanaians will recall that a similar process which had been initiated by the Attorney-General was abruptly discontinued by the Attorney-General, citing among other reasons, the fact that Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome had made an overture to pay the money in installments.
We at CitizenGhana Movement welcome this landmark ruling as we consider it a significant boost in the fight against corruption – an arch nemesis to good governance. The ruling empowers all citizens to live true to the constitutional obligation to protect and preserve the public purse under Article 41(f). We therefore wish to encourage citizens, anti-corruption crusaders and the whole of civil society to take advantage of this important decision in their work and ultimate quest for good governance.
In concluding, we wish to recognize and appreciate the singular efforts of Citizen Vigilante for his unrelenting fight against corruption especially in this particular case. We encourage him to keep up with the good fight and we offer him the best assurances of our unflinching support. We recognize the import of the case in empowering citizens to step up and take on the role of protecting the national coffers, especially in instances where the government reneges on this responsibility. We look forward to 24th November, 2016, when Mr. Woyome will be examined, and we remain hopeful that this matter will be brought to its logical conclusion with Ghanaians being the ultimate victors.
Alfred Woyome was paid ¢51 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for the purposes of hosting the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
An Auditor General’s report released in 2010, said the amount was paid illegally. A Supreme Court in 2014 subsequently ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the money after Mr. Martin Amidu challenged the legality of the payments in court.
Several efforts to retrieve the money since then has proven futile.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
