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The state on Monday asked for further adjournment to enable the Police to unravel the complexities in the case involving Alfred Agbesi Woyome and three others for their role in the controversial GH¢51.2 million judgment debt payment.
Ms Cynthia Lamptey, Chief State Attorney has therefore prayed for a month adjournment.
Ms Lamptey told the Financial Division of an Accra Fast Track High Court that currently the office had an incomplete docket on which the accused persons were arraigned, as such the Police would need a month to complete investigations into the complexities in the matter.
Meanwhile the court asked the public to desist from trying the matter on the airwaves and urged all who have evidence to channel them to the court.
It further tasked the prosecution, especially the investigation team, to expedite investigations into the matter as it was not happy with the turn of events.
Mr Osafo Buabeng, one of Woyome’s lawyers noted that it appeared prosecution was not ready, pointing out that it could not bring someone to court without charges.
Woyome is standing trial alongside Samuel Neequaye-Tetteh, a Chief State Attorney; Paul Asimenu, the Director of Legal Services at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and Mrs Gifty Nerquaye-Tetteh, Nerquaye-Tetteh’s wife.
Mrs Neequaye-Tetteh has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢500,000 with two sureties and also ordered to report herself to the police twice a week.
Woyome has pleaded not guilty to three counts of conspiracy, defrauding by false pretence and corrupting a public officer and has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢20 million with three sureties to be justified.
Neequaye-Tetteh has been charged with two counts of conspiracy and corruption of a public officer and has pleaded not guilty to the offence, while his wife faces one count of abetment of crime.
Asimenu, on the other hand, has pleaded not guilty to one count of abetment of crime.
Neequaye-Tetteh and Asimenu have also been granted bail in the sum of GH¢6,000 each, with two sureties each, one each to be justified.
The facts of the case are that in 2009, Woyome made a false representation to the then Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, stating that he had a contract with the Government of Ghana regarding the construction of sports stadia for CAN 2008 but that the contract had unlawfully been abrogated.
According to the prosecution, Woyome subsequently filed a writ at the High Court, claiming he was owed GH¢41 million and interest of GH¢10.2 million, bringing the total to GH¢51.2 million.
The prosecution said moneys paid were GH¢17.9 million in February 2010, GH¢10 million on January 27, 2011, GH¢10 million on April 18, 2011 and GH¢14.1 million on September 12, 2011.
It said investigations showed that the government did not owe Woyome any money, while Neequaye-Tetteh failed to go to court to defend the action Woyome had instituted against the state.
The prosecution further pointed out that Woyome had transferred GH¢400,000 into Mrs Neequaye-Tetteh’s account. Investigations also revealed that as the director of Legal Services, Asimenu had written opinions and quoted wrong figures, as well as given information, which created conditions for Woyome to be paid money which was not due him (Woyome).
The matter has been adjourned to March 26. |
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5 months ago
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