Supreme Court Grabs Woyome Again Over GHC51.2 M Cash Saga

The Supreme Court has in a unanimous decision dismissed the motion for stay of execution filed by businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome over attempts by the State to retrieve the GHC 51.2 million judgement debt wrongly paid to him.

The five-member panel of Justices presided over by Justice Victor Jones Dotse held that there was no merit in the motion as filed by the businessman.

Delivering the ruling on behalf of the panel, Justice Anin Yeboah said the court had no real factual and legal basis to share its powers and jurisdiction with any other court either locally or internationally.

In the view of the court, as a result no court can compel it to halt its proceedings.

The court’s decision brings to an abrupt end what appears to be Mr. Woyome’s 24-hour victory barley a day after the African Court of Human and People’s Rights in Tanzania ordered the apex court to halt proceedings leading to the retrieval of the cash.

Mr. Woyome had dashed to the African Human Rights Court claiming several violations on his human rights in respect of the cases brought against him.

The businessman had wanted the apex court to stop all processes in the trial pending the determination of the case before the African Human Rights Court.

But the Justices dismissed Mr. Woyome’s application for stay of proceeding pending the final outcome of the case before the African Court describing it as one without merit.

The court stated that the pendency of the application was not in doubt adding that the Attorney-General was carrying its constitutional duty and nothing more.

Justice Anin-Yeboah said Mr. Woyome could not also demonstrate how his human rights had been infringement.

Earlier, the court had also dismissed the another motion filed by Osafo Boabeng, lawyer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier to arrest the ruling of the court.

Arguing, the lawyer said the of the African Court ruling was not directed at the Supreme Court but rather the AG who is a party to the case before the human rights court insisting that the AG in the instant case is executing the judgment for and on behalf of the government of Ghana.

Godfred Yeboah-Dame, a Deputy Attorney-General opposing the motion before the court said any international treaty which the country was party to could be binding on the country and deemed to be applicable only when it had been incorporated into the laws of Ghana.

He said although the treaty that established the African court was rectified by Ghana’s Parliament in July 16, 2004, same has not been incorporated into a law, the reason it could not be binding on the country.

Yeboah-Dame was emphatic that decisions of the African Human Rights court cannot be part of the laws of Ghana.

He said the constitution mandates the government to promote and protect the interest of the country adding that the court does not share its jurisdiction with any other court.

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

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

was present in court while Mr. Woyome was absent.

Recently, the government began a 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 stormed the Trasacco residence of Mr. Woyome to conduct the valuation to build concrete evidence on his ability to pay the debt for his trial.

The judge had placed an embargo on the shares owned by the businessman in 11 companies, following his indebtedness to the state. The businesses affected include those in Anator Holding Company Limited, AAW Management Consulting Services Limited, Green Township Security Services Company Limited, Anator Construction Company Limited, Woyome Brothers International Limited and Stewise Anator Company Limited.

The rest are Stewise Shopping Company Limited, Green Townships and Industrial Parks Development Company Limited, Anator Power Company Limited, Green Townships (GH) Company Limited and Special Economic Zone International Trading Company Limited.

Source: Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson/ thePublisher