Woyome Judge transferred

Justice John Najet-Assam, the trial judge in the case involving Alfred Agbesi Woyome—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) bankroller—accused of fraudulently receiving GH¢51.28 million judgment debt, has been transferred.

This came to light when a court clerk working at the Accra Fast Track High Court, Financial Division, where Woyome is on trial, informed persons who had arrived at the court to proceed to the 28th February Road Court—popularly known as Cocoa Affairs Court—because the trial judge had been transferred there.

At the High Court, the trial judge was ready for the case to resume after the long legal vacation, but the principal state attorney handling the case, Mathew Amponsah, informed the court that his outfit did not get the last two records of proceedings.

Justice Najet-Assam consequently had the matter adjourned to October 27, 2014.

Woyome’s wife, as well as friends and sympathisers, thronged the new courtroom to give him moral support.

The transfer of the judge, analysts believe, may delay the case further since the new court is not automated, as compared to the Fast Track High Court.

Mrs Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, who had the last hearing, asked the suspect during cross-examination whether or not he tendered the bid for the Confederation of African Nations (CAN) football tournament in his own name, to which Woyome replied that there were two aspects of the bid, which were the technical and financial aspects.

He further explained that the financial aspect was handled by him while the technical aspect was taken care of by M-Powapak, a coordinating company, but admitted that his name was not on the bid.

When asked the exact date he submitted his bid, the accused person said he could not exactly remember until he had checked the date.

Alfred Woyome, in response to a question regarding what exactly was required of the bid, said it was proof of secured funding and detailed architectural drawing.

Mrs Obuobisa asked Woyome to explain what the exact conditions were, to which he stated that the former Deputy Minister for Education, Youth and Sports, O.B. Amoah, wrote a letter to all the bidders stating so.

He also explained that when government asks for proof of secured funding, and it is accepted, it means the money is for the government.

Woyome was given a letter dated May 4, 2014, which he agreed was written before he submitted the bid, but stated that that was the time he had funded the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and added that organisations wanted to sue government but he paid them off to stop them from taking such an action.

In addition, the NDC sponsor told the court that there was a separate contract earlier which had been abrogated by the government, and noted that the said letter was addressed to Exim Bank and Bank of Austria, among others.

Furthermore, Woyome said the letter was meant to say that the government was aware of the meeting between any organisation and it (government).

The accused person, who is a retired diplomat, admitted he spent money putting up offices in Rome, Switzerland and other countries, all for the bidding, maintaining that government was friendly and very much aware of what he was doing.

The principal state attorney asked him to show where it was emphatically stated that one had the right to sue if one’s bid was not chosen. To this, Woyome said it was suppliers’ contract, and he was supposed to be paid for his services.