African Court hears Woyome’s case against Ghana

Ghana is expected to make an appearance at the African Court in Tanzania today, May 8, 2018, in the case involving Businessman Alfred Woyome.

Woyome proceeded to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in November 2017 when government began a valuation of his properties in an attempt to retrieve GHC51 million wrongfully paid to him in a judgment debt.

This follows a unanimous ruling by the 11-member panel ordering Ghana to suspend the seizure of any property belonging to the businessman.

The applicant alleged that by not respecting the terms of the agreement, Ghana violated the rights provided under the Charter; enjoyment of rights and freedoms recognized in the Charter without distinction.

Background

The Supreme Court, on July 29, 2014, ordered Mr Woyome to refund GHC51.2 million to the state on the grounds that he got the money out of unconstitutional and invalid contracts between the state and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006 for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008.

The court held that the contracts upon which Mr Woyome made and received the claim were in contravention of Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which requires such contracts to be laid before and approved by Parliament.