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The Attorney General and Minister of Justice has been petitioned for an update on steps it is taking to retrieve a 51 million cedis from businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome after he was ordered by the state to refund the monies.

A civil society group, the CitizenGhana Movement (CGM) is demanding answers to some questions as part of their right to information according to Article 21 (1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution.

The embattled businessman was acquitted of criminal wrongdoing and discharged in March 2015 after he was charged on the counts of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence. He had been accused of illegally receiving 51 million cedis for his role in the construction of stadia for the CAN 2008 tournament held in Ghana.

Presiding judge John Ajet-Nassam said the state failed to prove its case against Woyome. He also described the prosecution’s handling of the case as "sloppy, shoddy and lousy". He said the Attorney General’s Department only succeeded in wasting the time of the court.

Despite the failure of the state to secure a favourable ruling, there is a separate ruling on a civil case instructing the businessman to refund the monies.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice gave strong indication that the state will retrieve the GHC51 million judgment debt “illegally” paid to Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong said the state will not relent in pursuing the case at the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court, and will make sure that the money which has been a subject of controversy for years is refunded.But there have not been any developments after this assurance.

The Citizen Ghana Movement is therefore asking the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to answer these questions:

1.Concerning the civil matter in the Supreme Court, media reports indicates that at the last adjourned date, Alfred Agbesi Woyome had offered to pay judgment debts in installments.

Is this a true account of what happened in court? If yes, what were the terms of this offer?

Were these terms reduced into writing?

(b) Was the offer accepted by the state? If yes how much has been paid so far?

(c) If the offer was not accepted, has your office taken any steps to enforce and execute the judgment of the Supreme Court?

If yes, what are these steps and at what stage are they?

If no, what is accounting for the failure of the state to enforce and execute the judgment?

2. Concerning the criminal at the High Court it was reported after the judgment Justice Ajet Nassam acquitting Alfred Agbesi Woyome that the Attorney General intended to appeal against the acquittal.

What steps have been taken concerning the appeal?

Has a notice of appeal been filed?

If a notice of appeal has already been filed, have there been any steps taken since its filing to settle the record of appeal?

If yes, what are these steps and at what stage have they reached?

The group requested answers to these questions from the Attorney General, ten working days after its receipt.