Arrest Ex-President Kufour Over €50m loss - Woyome

CAN2008 Stadia Rehabilitation &Construction

OB Amoah, Agyemang Manu, Citizen Kofi & Kufuor’s Cabinet to face probe Among several chequered untold stories of the NPP and Ex-President Kufuor’s eight years regime, is the anti-climax of how they clandestinely destroyed traces of dirty deals that had prevailed during their two term in office, under which corruption became the order of the day.

High sources within the NPP have confirmed to The Republic that deliberate efforts were made by government officials to shred incriminating documents that would have served as evidence against them.

It has emerged that, the negligence of the President and his bench-men have led to an, estimated amount of €50million being poured into paying judgement debt, over the construction and rehabilitation of stadia, which preceded the MTN African Championship hosting in 2008. Quite apart from the GH?42 million cedis reported in the 2011 audit report, to have been slapped on the government by the court for the Kufuor governments liability to Consul Alfred Agbesi Woyome, which accrued as a result of breach of contract by the government, the Mills-NDC government, have had to spend several other monies in offsetting debts owed other companies in connection with the stadia construction and rehabilitation project.

According to documents available to The Republic, Prez-Kufuor’s Chief of staff, Mr. Kwadjo Mpiani, had secretly reached settlement plans with Waterville Holdings Ltd (BVI) to pay them a €37million as far back as 2005, which is way above what the Mills government eventually paid them.

The document revealed that, whilst the payment promised by Kwadjo Mpiani, was a unilateral decision by the castle, both the company Waterville Holdings Ltd (BVI) and Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome have had to go through several judicial processes under the NDC regime, before eventually being awarded the compensation due them.

Colin Russell, a British International Lawyer based in England, had in notice to the Kufuor administration pertaining the commitments to which the claims have been made, stated that Waterville and VAMED have both signed protective commitments with the USA Department of Commerce for the utilization of 32.5% of contract value to include purchase goods and services from the USA.

“The Bidding process, which was open and international, was fair and we have all records of the process and reports of committees in our possession.”

Adding that, the procurement bodies are obliged under law and the World Bank's "Procurement of Works and User Guide" to keep all records of the process and make them available to the general public or any competent body of Law. Explaining the legitimacy of their bid to Kwadjwo Mpiani, Colin Russell stated, thus “We have in our possession the Financial Committee's report, which included officials of the Bank of Ghana and the Ministry of Finance.We quote the committees remark on our funding: "proposal supported with credible documentation and institutions.

The document presented at that time to the Chief of Staff covered the chronology of the process which took 7 months at enormous cost to our clients who not only were obliged to look for Concessional Funding but also to do all Feasibility Studies and detailed designs with specification given to them officially by the L.O.C., he elaborated.

According to Russell, Waterville has authentic evidence on the Chinese Company which the Kufour Government dealt with, revealing how it violates all provision of Fair Trade practices and Ghana's Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663)

“Whereas others were to look for Concessional Funding for GOG, the Chinese were going to be paid by the GOG through commercial borrowing” frustrated British lawyer bemoaned adding that whereas other companies did actual feasibility studies and soil test, there is abundant evidence that the Chinese have not even visited any site (venue).”

“Whereas others participated in the bid process, the Chinese did not participate.”

Russell warned the Kufuor administration that, Ghana was under obligation with donor partners to do all major procurement through competitive bidding.

The doccument also threatened to use all the participating Foreign Companies Diplomatic Assistance to bring pressure to resolve the impasse, and also other channels such as the World Bank, WTO and FIFA, which Ghana has signed several protocols with, to abide by the Act (Act 663) and also Fair Trade practices.

Meanwhile, Mr. Alfred Woyome has called on the NDC government to probe the entire cabinet of John Agyekum Kufuor, who sat in the cabinet meeting on 27th July, 2005 to frustrate the legitimate process that had plunged Ghana into debt. He disclosed how Kufuor and some of his Ministers attempted to assassinate him as part of a master plan to destroy evidence that would lead to their indictment in illegalities.

Mr. Alfred Woyome was speaking at a press conference he organised to address deliberate misinformation and defamation of his person by a ‘dirty’ NPP MP named Kenedy Agyapong who hardly talks in parliament.

Kennedy Agyapong had alleged several unprintable misconducts on Alfred Woyome aimed at destroying his reputation following an attack on the NPP by the latter a week earlier.