Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Dame, says government will not give up on its efforts to recover all the GHc51 million judgement wrongfully paid by the state to businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome.
“The state will not relent in its efforts to recover any amount of money owed by Mr. Alfred Woyome and that all these legal manouverings will come to an end one day. I think I’m happy that indeed we are beginning to see the end of the legal maneuverings by Alfred Woyome,” he added on Eyewitness News on Monday.
The Supreme Court ordered the Receiver of defunct U.T Bank, Eric Nana Nipah, to mount the witness box to be cross-examined by the Attorney General.
This follows the Receiver’s claim of ownership of some properties belonging to Woyome which the state intends to sell to defray a GHc51 million debt Mr Woyome owes the state.
The case was subsequently adjourned.
But Mr. Dame alleged that Woyome and defunct UT bank colluded to hide some of Woyome’s assets identified by the state in their attempt to retrieve the Ghc51 million judgment debt paid to him.
Mr. Woyome is incensed over the claim accusing Mr. Dame of spewing lies after the latter repeated the claims on Eyewitness News.
“This is purely propaganda by Godfred Dame. There has never been any collusion. He should stop the lies. Someone in the NPP government should talk to him. They should call Dame to order,” he said on Eyewitness News on Monday.
I will face Dame in court
An emotionally charged Mr. Woyome, threatened to sue Mr. Dame for making such claims when a case was already ongoing in court.
“If Godfred Dame keeps doing what he’s doing, I’ll see him in court. If I lose the case, I’ll pay but if I win, the state would have to pay me.”
Background
Mr. Woyome was paid GHc 51 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the 2008 African Cup of Nations.
The businessman sued the state for a breach of contract relating to the construction and was awarded the default judgement because the state did not put in a defence.
However, an Auditor General’s report released in 2010 said the amount was paid illegally to the Mr.Woyome, who is a known National Democratic Congress financier.
He was subsequently arrested on February 3, 2011 after the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which was commissioned by the late President John Atta Mills to investigate the matter, had cited him for wrongdoing.
Mr.Woyome was initially charged with conspiracy, defrauding by false pretence and corrupting a public officer.
He was later re-arraigned and charged with two counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence.
On June 5, 2012 Mr.Woyome was discharged but re-arrested and charged with two counts of causing financial loss and defrauding by false pretence.
The case unravelled until March 12, 2015, where the Fast Track High Court trying Mr. Woyome, again discharged him.
Payback cash
But in 2014, the Supreme Court ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the amount, after former Attorney General and now Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu challenged the legality of the judgment debt paid the businessman.
Following delays in retrieving the money, the Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney-General clearance to execute the court’s judgment ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.
But few years later, the amount is yet to be retrieved in full as the Akufo-Addo administration is currently examining the businessman in court.
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Citinewsroom
