NPP To State Its Official Position On Woyome Case Today

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) will today [Tuesday] state its official position on the High Court ruling that acquitted and discharged businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

The payment of the 51 million Ghana cedis to Alfred Agbesi Woyome was one of the major campaign messages of the NPP in the 2012 election.

Today’s press conference which will be addressed by party General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong will also touch on Mr. Woyome’s latest accusation that the Attorney-General Marrita Brew Oppong also benefited from the 51 million cedis judgment debt paid to him.

Woyome was standing trial on two counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretense after he was paid GHC 51 million for a job he did for the government ahead of the 2008 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) which Ghana hosted. 

But according to the prosecution, Woyome put in false claims by stating that he was entitled to the amount because the government had abrogated a contract for the construction of stadia for the AFCON Africa, when according to the prosecution, there was no such contract.

Woyome was however acquitted and discharged by an Accra High Court on Thursday on both counts.

The Judge before delivering his judgment, chastised the state prosecutors failing to call key witnesses to adequately prosecute the case

The AG’s department  has however declared its intentions of appealing the ruling.

The AG, Marietta Brew-Appiah Oppong said: “We disagree completely with the judgment of the court. We are applying for a copy of the judgement, study it carefully and appeal accordingly.”

Many have questioned why the AG’s department is seeking to appeal the ruling when they could have effectively prosecuted the case to get the ruling they desired early on but the AG is inisisting it will go ahead with its decision.