The Supreme Court has granted Martin Amidu’s prayer to be allowed to orally examine Woyome over the controversial GhC51 million judgement debt.
Former Attorney General, Martin Amidu has received a go-ahead order from the Supreme Court to orally query businessman, Alfred Woyome over the GHC51 million [wrongfully] paid to him by the state.
Martin Amidu is a central character in the fight to ensure that Alfred Woyome refunds the said money paid to him by the state. To facilitate the retrieval of the money from the businessman, the former AG petitioned the Apex Court to allow him to orally examine Woyome over how he spent the money.
The ruling was delivered by the court presided over by Justic Anin Yeboah Wednesday morning. The court in its ruling, ordered Alfred Woyome to appear before it on Thursday November 24th, for an oral examination by Martin Amidu over the judgement debt payment. According to Joy News’ Joseph Ackah-Blay, Mr. Woyome stormed out of the courtroom in annoyance after judgment was delivered.
It has been more than two years since the Supreme Court ordered the state in June 22, 2012 to collect the monies it wrongfully paid the businessman. The court lamented that the amount in question is enormous and no serious moves have so far been made to retrieve the money since the judgment was delivered.
Martin Amidu’s application, praying the court to allow him to examine Woyome over the Ghc 51 Million judgment debt paid him, follows a move by the AG’s office, led by the Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, to discontinue an oral examination of Mr. Woyome, despite serving an earlier notice.
Mr Amidu has suspected foul play on the part of the AG as regards the sudden and questionable withdrawal of the case. Among other allegations, Martin Amidu had argued that President Mahama is the master-mind of the case discontinuance. His suspicions therefore prompted him to send in an application to the court for a leave to personally cross examine the NDC financier, which has now been granted. The court however nullified Amidu’s claims that Mahama caused the AG to withdraw the case from court.
Woyome’s case which has lasted for close to 6 years, has been the longest criminal hearing under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government. Alfred Woyome was paid GH¢51.2 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAN 2008 Nations Cup.
However, an Auditor General released a report in 2010, on the assumption of AG Martin Amidu who succeeded AG Betty that same year; saying the amount was paid illegally to Woyome. Amidu then had the NDC financier arrested and charged for causing financial loss to the state.
While prosecuting the case, Amidu was sacked under mysterious circumstances and Marietta was appointed to succeed him. A civil case to get Woyome to refund the money was however, successful. Amidu acting under his private capacity secured a Supreme court order directing the businessman to refund the GH¢ 51.2 million to the state, although he was cleared of criminal charges.
But following delays in retrieving the money, the Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney-General clearance to execute the court’s judgement ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.
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