Unravelling the Woyome saga - Police grill Waterville MD

Mr Woyome Investigations into the GHc51.2 million judgement debt paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome were taken to another level when the Managing Director of Waterville Ghana, Mr Andreas M. Orlandi, was grilled by the police for four hours Friday. The interrogation, conducted at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) started 8:30am and ended 12:30pm. Mr Orlandi is expected to return to meet the investigative panel next week to provide documents in respect of some of the issues raised in connection with the payment. After studying the documents, the panel will arrange a cross-examination of the witnesses who have so far appeared before the investigative panel. The Daily Graphic was told by sources at the CID headquarters that the investigative panel wanted to know if, indeed Waterville had a contract with the government. Without giving details and the answers provided by Mr Orlandi, the sources said the panel sought to know whether or not the contract had, indeed, been abrogated. The panel also sought to know why and how the contract had been abrogated and the legal consequences, not only for the state but also any other interested party. Mr Orlandi was also questioned on the relationship between Waterville and Mr Woyome. “Members of the panel are currently reviewing the documents and statements Mr Orlandi made when he appeared before the panel Friday. He had also been told to produce some documents he forgot to bring along”, the sources said. Mr Orlandi is the eighth person to be interrogated by the CID investigative panel, led by its Director General, Commissioner of Police, Mr Prosper Agblor. Besides the principal actor in the brouhaha, Mr Woyome, others who have appeared before the panel include a Betty Mould-Iddrisu, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice during whose tenure the questionable judgement debt was paid, Yaw Osafo-Marfo, former Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, under whose tenure the alleged contract between the government and Waterville was entered into and abrogated and his deputy Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah. The rest are Chief State Attorney, Samuel Neequaye-Tetteh, the Director of Legal Services at the Finance Ministry, Paul Asimenu and Mrs Gifty Neequaye-Tetteh into whose account Woyome allegedly deposited GHc400, 000. They are currently standing trial alongside Woyome at the Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court. Neequaye-Tetteh has been charged with two counts of conspiracy and corruption of public officer, while his wife, Gifty and Asimenu have been charged with a count each of abetment of crime. They are currently on court bail and are to appear before the court on March 5, 2012.