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Mahama Ordered A-G Not To Retrieve Ghc51m Woyome Loot - Martin Amidu

By Daily Statesman
General News Martin Amidu
NOV 7, 2016 LISTEN
Martin Amidu

Martin Amidu, a former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice in the Mills’ administration, has disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama personally gave the order for Marietta Brew Appiah Oppong, the current Attorney General, to withdrew her application to examine Alfred Agbesi Woyome over the Ghc51 million judgment debt saga.

According to him, President Mahama gave the order for fear that the embattled NDC financier would carry out his threats to disclose names of high ranking functionaries of his party and government who financially benefitted from the money fraudulently paid out.

Mr Amidu has filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to personally examine Mr Woyome.

In a statement issued to the media, he argued that the decision by the Mahama government to discontinue the case was a cover up, to protect some National Democratic Congress officials who benefited from the GHc51 million paid to Mr Woyome by the state as judgment debt.

He further challenged President Mahama to allow his examination of Mr Woyome to commence if government has nothing to hide.

“Gargantuan crimes were indeed committed as I stated in 2012. Corruption is trying to prevent the public from hearing the whole story from the horse’s own mouth. I challenge the honesty and integrity of the President and the Government to allow the examination of its financier, the Judgment Debtor, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, to proceed without hindrance if they have nothing to hide,” he charged.

He believes if he is offered the chance to examine Mr Woyome “the good people of Ghana will hear and see the beneficiaries of the unconstitutional judgment debt in the NDC and this Government.”

“In my application I filed today [November 4, 2016], I made use of information provided to me that: ‘….when the Judgment Debtor was served with the order of the Court, he went to inform the NDC of which he is a member and financier; and the incumbent Government, in particular the Attorney General and the President personally, that should the order applied for by the Government for his examination be not discontinued, he will have no option at his appearance at the Court than to disclose truthfully and faithfully to the Court on oath the names of all NDC and Government beneficiaries of the judgment debt, which was paid to him as a result of the unconstitutional conduct of the Attorney General declared in the decision of this Court,” the former Attorney General stated.

“I have also stated the information available to me and my belief that: ‘the NDC and the Government realizing the power of this Court pursuant to its order granted for the examination of the 3rd Defendant/Respondent/Judgment Debtor to ‘order the judgment debtor or officer to produce any books or documents in the possession of the judgment debtor relevant to these questions at the time and place appointed for the examination’ took to panic resulting in the President instructing the Attorney General upon her own advice to him to discontinue the application for examination of the judgment debtor which the Court had already ordered,” Mr. Amidu added.

Both the opposition New Patriotic Party and OccupyGhana, an anti-corruption pressure group, insist the A-G decided to discontinue the case in order to protect the accomplices of Mr Woyome who belong to the governing NDC.

They find it difficult to understand why an A-G who had served an earlier notice to orally examine Mr Woyome at the Supreme Court would suddenly turn round to announce a discontinuation of the case.

Mr Amidu, who had previously secured a ruling at the court ordering Mr Woyome to pay back the money, is therefore asking the Supreme Court to allow him to examine Mr Woyome through his latest application.

“I have this morning 4th November 2016 filed an application at the Supreme Court for leave to examine the Judgment Debtor as the citizen public interest Plaintiff in favour of whom the case was decided for the Republic of Ghana,” Mr Amidu disclosed.

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