Gov’t happy with Woyome ruling - Ablakwa

Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Education in charge of tertiary, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the government is excited with Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling, which ordered the self-acclaimed financier of the governing party, Alfred Woyome, to refund Ghc51.2 million paid him as judgment debt about four years ago.

According to the deputy minister, the ruling vindicates the position of government in the case as it has maintained that the money was wrongfully paid.

“Government is happy with the ruling. That has always been the case of the government; that the money was wrongly paid. The Supreme Court appears to have gone ahead of us, but the ruling is good news,” he stated on Metro TV, Wednesday morning.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, July 29, unanimously ordered businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, to refund Ghc51.2million to the state.

According to the court, the contracts upon which he made and received the claim was in contravention of Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which requires such contracts to be laid before and approved by Parliament.

The eleven-member panel was presided over by the Chief Justice, Mrs Georgina Theodora Wood.

The legal battle to retrieve the money from Woyome was started by former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, who was sacked by former President John Mills (late) over the same judgment debt payment saga when the story first broke.

Meanwhile, the camp of Mr Woyome has hinted that although they respect the ruling of the highest court of the land, they will nonetheless avail themselves of other legal opportunities at their disposal over the matter.