Woyome Trail Takes Long Break


Alfred Agbesi Woyome and Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, Attorney General

The trial of Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) bankroller, accused of fraudulently receiving GH¢51.28 million judgment debts, has been given a long break.

This is because of the legal vacation which is due in a week’s time. The Fast Track High Court in Accra would be on vacation as well and resume sitting in October.

Yvonne Obuobisa, principal state attorney who cross-examined Woyome yesterday told the court to give her some days for adjournment but the trial judge, Justice John Najet-Assam said if she was not ready for next week the case would have to resume after the legal vacation.

Mrs. Obuobisa asked the suspect whether or not he tendered the bid for Confederations of African Nations (CAN) in his own name, to which he replied that there were two aspects of the bidtechnical and commercial.

He further said the financial aspect was handled by him while the technical aspect was taken care of by M-Powapak, a coordinating company, but admitted that his name was not on the bid.

When asked the exact date he submitted his bid, the accused person said he could not precisely remember until he checked the date.

Woyome, in response to exactly what was required of the bid, said it was proof of secured funding and detailed architectural drawing.

When Mrs. Obuobisa asked Woyome to explain what the exact conditions were, he stated that the former Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports O.B. Amoah wrote a letter to all the bidders stating so.

He also explained that when government asks to bring proof of secured funding and it is accepted it means the money is for government.

Woyome was given a letter dated May 4, 2014, which he agreed was before he submitted the bid but stated that that was the time he had funded the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and said some organisations wanted to sue government and he paid them off not to do so.

In addition, the NDC sponsor told the court that there was a separate contract earlier which had been abrogated by the government and noted that the said letter was addressed to Exim Bank, Bank of Austria, among others.

The accused person who is a retired diplomat admitted he spent money putting up offices in Rome, Switzerland among other countries for the bidding but said government was friendly and very much aware of what he was doing.

The principal state attorney asked him to show where it was emphatically stated that one had the right to sue for if one’s bid was not chosen, to which he said it was captured in the suppliers’ contract and so he was supposed to be paid for his services.

In addition, he said he had undertaken similar ventures with the government before CAN 2008 such as the Sogakope Hospital.

When asked at what stage Vamed Engineering assigned its bid to him, he said it was in Vienna and added that it was very difficult for Ghana to access funds internationally because Ghana was Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC).

The suspect who is also a businessman said he had to go through World Bank’s institution called MIGA and said he was bidding on behalf of Government of Ghana adding that the letter which was earlier given to him by Mrs. Obuobisa, bore the name, Government of Ghana.

The retired diplomat also stated that there was a suppliers’ contract which was abrogated by the government and had to pay the companies off.

He further stated that he went to court on the issue and won.

The case has been adjourned to October 10, 2014.
By Fidelia Achama

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