I'm determined to pay GHC51m - Woyome

Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome has said he will surely pay the GHS51.2million judgment debt paid him by the state, which the Supreme Court has ruled must be refunded because it was ill-gotten.

“Alfred Woyome is determined to pay. Alfred Woyome has arrived at a payment structure with the Republic of Ghana through its constitutionally mandated Attorney General and Alfred Woyome will pursue that by God’s grace to make sure the orders of the courts are respected,” Mr Woyome told journalists on Friday, 18 November, at a press conference.

Mr Woyome has also refuted claims by former Attorney General Martin Amidu that a GHS4million cheque he issued as part payment for the controversial GHS51.2million judgment debt, which he has been ordered by the Supreme Court to refund to the state, was a phoney cheque concocted by the government to hoodwink Ghanaians.

“…I don’t think I here, as a citizen, proud one of course, will try to play a prank on fellow Ghanaians. No, not at all! The so-called cheque was written by me. I made a cheque without writing who it’s meant for because I was confused as to who should be the recipient and after a meeting with the Attorney General in the presence of the Solicitor-General …,” he said.

On Thursday, Mr Amidu said the Government of Ghana concocted the GHS4million part payment story and the cheque.

“Does the Ghana government believe us to be so easily fooled that they concoct Woyome part payments of the judgment debt as smoke and mirrors for their election campaign? The people of Ghana should demand to know from government how its Attorney General can – in enforcing the order of the Supreme Court for Woyome to refund the unconstitutional payments made to Woyome to the Republic of Ghana – accept a cheque of GHS 4,000,000.00 drawn by Woyome dated 4th November, 2016 in favour of the Economic and Organised Crime Office as part payment of the monies ordered by the Court to be refunded, Mr Amidu said in a statement.

“The Attorney General accepted the Economic and Organised Crime Office cheque from Woyome and gave a receipt acknowledging the payment “as part payment for the Judgment Debt of GHS51, 283,483.59”. The Access Bank (GH) East Cant cheque number 890081 and the Attorney General’s receipt which were exhibited to the Attorney General’s affidavit sworn by the Attorney General herself on 9th November 2016 as Exhibits “AG 7” and “AG7A” are attached herewith in PDF for the public to judge how any Attorney General, worth the name, can accept a cheque drawn on the Economic and Organized Crime Office which was not party to the action as part payment of the refund ordered by the court on 29th July, 2014 for the Republic,”

Mr Amidu has also said only a new government can retrieve the GHS51.2 million fraudulently paid to Mr Woyome.

He has, therefore, called on Ghanaians to vote against President John Mahama and the governing NDC in the December 7 polls.

“I am a senior and foundation member of the NDC, the governing party. But I am compelled to put Ghana first and to defend the 1992 Constitution by saying that the only way Ghanaians can have the Woyome/Austro-Invest joint loot refunded is to change the government that created, looted and shared the loot with them during the presidential election this year,” Mr Amidu said in a statement copied to ClassFMonline.com.

“A new government will prosecute Woyome under Article 2(3) and (4) of the 1992 Constitution for High Crime should he delay any further in refunding the unconstitutional loot. The new Government will also enforce the Waterville judgment debt of over Euro 47million loot or prosecute it for High Crime.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has granted Mr Amidu the chance to examine Mr Woyome on the matter after he got a favourable ruling in connection with an application to that effect.