D-Day For Woyome, AS SC Rules On ‘Stopper Motion’ Today

The Supreme Court (SC) is set to deliver its ruling on a motion filed by businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, challenging the legality of the valuation of his assets by the State.

The court is expected to decide whether or not the State erred in initiating the valuation processes of the properties belonging to the embattled ‘financier engineer’ over the GH 51.2 million judgement debt wrongly paid to him by the State.

Mr. Woyome is currently in a fierce legal battle with the State over attempts to recoup into the national kitty the controversial cash paid him.

Already, the businessman and the Attorney-General are locked up in an oral examination process before the court presided over by Justice A. A. Benin.

The State intends to ascertain whether or not he has the means to repay the amount.

On Monday, Osafo Boaben, lawyer for Mr. Woyome, said his client was indisposed.

He had submitted an excuse duty from doctors at the Accra Regional Hospital asking that the businessman be granted a two-week health leave.

Lawyers of the embattled businessman had filed in an attempt to stop the State from continuing with the ongoing valuation processes.

According to lawyers for Mr. Woyome, the order on which the State is relying to embark on the valuation process has elapsed and therefore cannot be used.

Godfred Yeboah Dame, Deputy Attorney General, said the State’s action was based on a new order on the 6th January 2016, different from the one being referred to by the businessman.

VALUATION

Last month, the government began valuation of Woyome’s properties in a quest to retrieve the money wrongfully paid to him.

Some security personnel and officials from the Ghana Valuation Board, were at the Trasacco residence of Mr. Woyome to conduct the valuation to build concrete evidence of his ability to pay the debt for his trial.

At the last court hearing, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier said it was an error for the AG to haul him before the court.

In the view of the Woyome, there already exists a payment plan between himself and the AG, and wondered why he had been brought before the apex court for grilling over the money. He said the State was using the Supreme Court to achieve “what they could not achieve earlier.”

According to him, “The State is here to take money from me, that is erroneous. I have agreement with the State…” Mr. Woyome, who was under a two-hour oral examination by Godfred Yeboah Dame, Deputy Attorney General, retorted, “…the State has come improperly before the court; I have paid money to the State, for the State to come ex-parte is misleading the court.”

ASSETS

Touching on his possible landed properties in the country, the deputy AG said houses at Abelemkpe and Kokomlemle belong to him (Woyome.)

He claimed “I own the Kokomlemle house together with my family; you cannot say that for the Abelemkpe house.” Insisting that the Abelemkpe house belongs to his brother in America, Mr. Woyome argued, “It’s a house owned by my junior brother in America (who) made it available for the use of the family for a year now.”

Mr. Yeboah Dame, as a result, urged Justice Benin to compel Woyome to produce the documents on the said house pursuant to Order 46 Rule 1 of High Court Civil Procedures CI 47. On that, Mr. Woyome maintained, “I have not lied; never have I lied. The State may go ahead to do whatever they want…”.

The court has however ordered the registrar to subpoena the Registrar of the Lands Commission to provide details on the ownership of the house, as it is on their records. The court as well ordered Woyome’s counsel (Ken Anku) to furnish it with the number of the houses at Ablelemkpe by close of day Friday, July 28, 2017.

Source: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher