Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) bankroller, Wednesday appeared in court after he returned from his trip to the United States where he went to cool off during the two months legal vacation.
He appeared before an Accra Fast Track High Court (Financial Division), presided over by Justice John Ajet-Nassam where he is being tried for allegedly receiving GHc51.28 million as judgment debt.
However, the hearing could not proceed because the state attorney was not available, prompting Osafo Boabeng, counsel for Woyome, to pray the court for an adjournment.
This was an hour after the accused person, his counsel and family, had waited for the state attorney to arrive.
The trial judge consequently adjourned the case to October 29, 2013.
A few minutes after counsel for the accused person left, Mathew Amponsah, Principal State Attorney in the case, was seen rushing upstairs to the courtroom by which time Woyome was also on his way out.
The last witness before the legal vacation was the acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Justice, Suleman Ahmed, who admitted that two of the three payments of GHc17 million to Woyome occurred when Martin Amidu was in office as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.
He told the court that the first tranche was paid under the then AG, Betty Mould-Iddrisu while the rest were paid under Mr. Amidu.
The witness said these during cross-examination by Osafo Boabeng.
The acting chief director also agreed with counsel for the accused person when he put it to him that the then Chief of Staff, Henry Martey Newman, was aware of the judgment debt because Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu sent letters on it to him.
When asked if the former Chief of Staff had any objection to the payment of the money to his client, the witness said he was not aware.
So far, seven witnesses, including the former Minister of Education Science and Sports, Mr Osafo Marfo, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Dorma West and former Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, have been called by the prosecution.
Others include the Legal Director and Board Secretary of Public Procurement Authority (PPA), Leslie Dodoo.
Woyome has been charged with causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretences, but he has denied any wrongdoing.
