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The cross-examination of businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome who is standing trial at an Accra High Court for allegedly defrauding the state to the tune of GH�51.2 million has been concluded after five months grilling by state prosecution. At a dramatic final day of grilling of the accused where only six of his sympathizers including his wife were allowed into the courtroom to observe proceedings, the presiding judge, Justice John Ajet-Nassan, adjourned the case to November 19 for his re-examination. The Judge�s decision to restrict the number of Mr. Woyome�s sympathizers followed a complaint by Chief State Attorney, Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, four days earlier that some observers chuckled each time she posed a question to the businessman. Prior to signaling the end of her scrutiny of the accused, the chief state attorney asked Mr. Woyome whether he really stated previously that the borrower was a Special Purpose Company (SPC) to be determined in Accra, whereupon, he replied in the affirmative. Responding to further questions, Mr. Woyome explained that the composition of the (SPC) was made up of Vamed/Waterville and some government officials with the purpose that Ghana had been declared HIPC at the time, and the contracting company will ensure that there is cash and inflow of the total project would be channeled through special account by the World Bank, IMF and MIGA, adding, �that was the purpose for which the loan was granted.� When it was suggested to him that the composition was made up of 80% of government officials and 20% of Vamed/Waterville, he said that assertion was incorrect, explaining rather that, the SPC is a vehicle not a company for shares to be allotted to, but a vehicle for financing. He explained that it was rather 15% of the money supposed to be purely grant that was arranged to mix up with commercial purpose of 85% in order to meet conditionality procedures of at least 35% set up as condition for the then HIPC Ghana. He told the court that, government was to get 85% to be repaid, and it was the cheapest and highest paid on record. When it was suggested to Mr. Woyome that he shifted the burden of loan to government which was not what was advertised, he replied in the negative saying, the bank of Austria�s letters of support is dependent on the report by a competent company by LOC and accepted by the World Bank, and its agency, MIGA. This, he said cannot be something shifted on the government since it was the third loan agreed on. Mr. Woyome also told the court that government accepted the loan through issuance of concurrent approval ensuing from the entity tender committee chaired by Mr. Osarfo Maafo. Asked to tell the court the funds available for construction of the stadia, he said from the letter of offer to government, it was over 760 million Euros. Told by the prosecution that in his petition to Attorney General (AG), the 2% in the figure he demanded was in excess of 1 billion Euro, he responded in affirmative saying, �it is inclusive of over 300 million Euros� for the hospitals and over 12 million Euros tissue culture facility among other things. When it was further suggested to him that those things were not part of the CAN 2008 project, he said �that was exactly the amount I raised based on the conditionality attached to the loan and accepted by Van Lar Dosoo committee.� He intimated that the Van Lar Dosoo committee never started, but he and his group arranged the bid financing. The prosecution�s attempt to rely on exhibit 29 which had to do with a case filed at the Commercial Division of the High Court involving the accused and the AG and ministry of finance was met with series of sustained objections after both parties argued their case. He, however, confirmed to the court that he led a consortium and was awarded with the construction of five new stadia and the rehabilitation of Accra, El Wak and Kumasi Sports stadia. Mr. Woyome told the court also that the figure that he based his claim in the court on was the total summation of the letters of support and approved by Van Lar Dosoo committee which received the tender approval, and that he was paid on orders of the court of competent jurisdiction and government represented in all stages. When it was put to him that his averment that his financial structuring was for Vamed and not government, he said he never made any such averment. When the prosecution suggested to him that his claim should have been directed to Vamed and not government he said, �When I made the claim to government, and failed to pay, I went the law court of the land, and had justice.� The case has been adjourned to November 19, by which time the records will be given to the parties for Woyome�s counsel to decide if he could re-examine him.