Woyome's day of reckoning will come – Akufo-Addo

There will eventually be a day of reckoning for businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome as far as the litany of legal issues concerning that matter is concerned vis-à-vis government’s efforts to retrieve the fraudulently acquired GHS51.2million from him is concerned per the ruling of the Supreme Court, President Nana Akufo-Addo has said.

“Woyome’s money is a subject of all kinds of legal processes, those legal processes some day will come to an end, I know there will come a day for reckoning on that matter,” the president told journalists when he met them at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, 18 July.

Recently Mr Woyome filed a new writ at the Supreme Court seeking to reverse a ruling by a justice of the apex court, Justice A.A Benin who granted an application by the Attorney General to cross-examine him orally in connection with attempts by the state to retrieve the money.

Mr Woyome argues that Article 134 (b) of the 1992 Constitution gives him the opportunity to apply for a stay of Justice Benin’s decision by asking that a panel of three Justices vary, discharge and or reverse the order.

Article 134 (b) of the 1992 constitution stipulates that: ‘A single Justice of the Supreme Court may exercise power vested in the Supreme Court not involving the decision of the cause or matter before the Supreme Court, except that;

(b) in civil matters, any order, direction or decision made or given under this article may be varied, discharged or reversed by the Supreme Court constituted by three Justices of the Supreme Court.

However, Deputy Attorney General argued that the provision cited by Mr Woyome upon which he filed the application does not apply since the State is merely attempting to enforce an earlier judgement of the same court.

A few weeks ago, a charge was put on some properties of Mr Woyome.

The charge affected Anator Holding Company Limited, AAW Management Consulting Services, Anator Construction Company Limited, Green Township Security Services Company Limited, Woyome Brothers International Limited, Stewise Anator Company Limited, and Stewise Shipping Company Limited.

Background

Mr Woyome was paid the GHS51.2million after dragging the state to court over the abrogation of an alleged contract he had with the government for the building of some stadia.

The Supreme Court, however, ruled subsequently that he got the money illegally and fraudulently and directed him to refund it.

Mr Woyome and the Attorney General came to an agreement about a payment plan. He started refunding the money by instalments in November last year.

Per the agreement, he was supposed to have made a second part payment of GH¢5million by April 1, 2017.

Mr Woyome is to pay Gh¢5million every four months in instalment until the final payment is made on April 1, 2019.

However, Mr Woyome, who is dissatisfied with the ruling by the Supreme Court, has resorted to two international bodies, the ICC and African Court of Justice, to determine the matter.

The AG has been served with the African Court of Justice suit through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



It would be recalled that Mrs Dorothy Afriyie-Ansah, Chief State Attorney, filed a similar suit in 2016 but later filed a discontinuance based on the payment schedule the AG’s Department and Mr Woyome agreed upon, out of which a part payment of Gh¢4 million was made.

Mr Justice Anin Yeboah, a single judge hearing the case, granted the request of the AG.

Not satisfied with the AG’s discontinuance of her oral examination of the judgment debt, citizen vigilante Martin Amidu also filed a writ in 2016 to orally examine Mr Woyome as part of processes to retrieve the money.

Mr Amidu, however, withdrew his case when there was a change of government on January 7, 2017, explaining that he was confident the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government was going to pursue the matter.