Mahama defends Woyome

...blames NPP for GH¢51.8 million judgement debt

The President of the Republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, at Wednesday’s presidential debate organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs, to the utter shock and dismay of Ghanaians, rose to the defense of embattled NDC financier and self-acclaimed financial engineer, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, over the NDC government’s payment of GH¢51.8 million to him.

In the President’s attempt to answer a question posed on corruption, and at the same time trying to rebut statements made by the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, President Mahama stated that all judgment debts paid by the NDC, amounting to some GH¢858 million in 3 years, were occasioned by the NPP administration’s cancellation of contracts, including that of Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

President Mahama’s shocking statement was made after the NPP Presidential Candidate, in answering a question on corruption, stated that corruption had become endemic in the country under the NDC, an act which is robbing Ghana of much needed resources for its development. Nana Akufo-Addo cited, amongst others, the payment of dubious judgment debts as evidence of the level to which corruption had permeated the ruling NDC administration.

In proffering a solution, Nana Akufo-Addo, among others, stated that Ghana needed a leadership of conviction which is committed to fighting corruption and dedicated to the welfare and wellbeing of the Ghanaian and expressly stated that he was determined to fight corruption aggressively because he has not been corrupt and has never been corrupt and will demand the same from his team.

However, according to President Mahama, the payment of GH¢858 million in judgment debts by his government were all caused by the NPP government and as such the reference to the payment of dubious judgment debts by the Nana Akufo-Addo was a sign of desperation.

This statement by President Mahama, was exposed by the NPP flagbearer who reminded the President that Mr Woyome, for example, has been hauled to court by the Attorney General, a functionary of the NDC government for “procuring the 51.8 million judgment debt payment through fraudulent and illegal means and also causing financial loss to the state.”

It is recalled that the then Attorney General who prosecuted the Woyome case before his dismissal by the late President Mills, Martin Amidu, stated that “after studying the available file on the Woyome case I discover to my disappointment that there was no contract and there could not have been a contract upon which to ground a cause of action and locus standi in the plaintiff against the Government.”

The former A-G further added that as Attorney-General had demanded as Attorney-General, and continue to advocate as a citizen of Ghana, for the retrieval of the sum of GH¢51 million plus involved in the GARGANTUAN FRAUD and the prosecution of the perpetrators of the fraud on the Republic of Ghana.”

Indeed, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome is standing trial on charges of defrauding by false pretense and causing financial loss to the state and has himself, stated, that he had no contract to renovate sports stadia for Ghana’s hosting of the 2008 Africa Cup.