Woyome Case: CPP demands Betty Mould punished

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is calling for criminal charges against former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Betty Mould Iddrisu, for her involvement in the payment of GH¢51.2 million as judgment debt to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

The party also wants some other former appointees of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) who, somehow, facilitated the erroneous payment to the businessman to be investigated.

It said the then Minister for Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor; former Deputy Attorney General, Ebo Barton Oduro; and one Neequaye Tetteh of the Ministry of Finance must be probed.

The CPP’s call comes in the wake of the Supreme Court order to the state to go ahead and sell some four properties of the beleaguered businessman to defray the debt.

The properties include three residential properties – two at Trassaco Valley and one at Accra Newtown, as well as a quarry at Mamfe in the Eastern Region.

The properties, according to Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, were estimated to cost at least GH¢20 million.

The state has also said it has discovered two more properties belonging to the businessman and will take steps to sell them off.

Self-defence

Betty Mould-Iddrisu has insisted that she did not err in authorising the payment of GH¢51.2 million to the NDC financier.

The Supreme Court in July 2014 ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back the huge amount to the government following a suit filed by Betty’s successor, Martin Amidu, now the Special Prosecutor, but the order fell on deaf ears.

“The CPP wishes to state that the retrieval of the money would be meaningless if the officers of state who deliberately, conscientiously and dutifully participated in the state loot are not brought to justice. Then Minister for Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffour; Minister of Justice and A-G, Betty Mould Iddrisu; her Deputy, Ebo Barton Oduro; and Neequaye Tetteh, formerly of the Ministry of Finance, must be made to dance to the same adowa.

“It was through their willful negligence, willful participation or a combination of the two that made this unarmed broad-day robbery of the powerful state of Ghana possible. The state must go after them or risk serving any lesson to individuals entrusted with the power of the state who tend to abuse it,” a statement signed by CPP’s acting General Secretary, James Kwabena Bomfeh noted.

The statement further recognized Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for his sterling capacity in pursuing the matter of retrieving the money.