Lawyers for Businessman, Alfred Woyome, have warned some individuals and firms who they say are defaming him in spite of his acquittal by two superior courts in the 51 million cedi judgment debt saga.
The individuals include Anthony Karbo and Nana Akomea of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as the Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Daily Guide and Peace FM. According to Woyome’s lawyers, the actions of these individuals incite public disdain against their client.
A notice issued by Mr. Woyome’s lawyers said dragging the said persons to court will serve as a deterrent to others. “It has come to our attention that notwithstanding the legal effect of judicial decisions in the Republic vs Alfred A. Woyome in both the High court and the court of Appeal, a number of individuals such as Mr Anthony Karbo, Nana Akomea of the NPP and Kweku Baako of the Crusading Guide, and entities such as the New Patriotic Party, the Daily Guide and Peace FM of Despite Limited, have overtly or covertly directly or indirectly and intentionally excoriated and denigrated the person of Mr. Alfred A. Woyome for the sole purpose of scandalizing the superior courts of Ghana.”
“For those already mentioned above, the necessary legal remedies available to redress the escalating situation will be employed and to those individuals, bodies or firms which intend to indulge in the same conduct deprecated above are hereby put on notice and notice is hereby given that continued breach of the sanctity of the court and the right of Mr. Alfred A. Woyome will be repelled without fear or favour,” the notice added.
Background
Woyome walked out of the premises of the Court of Appeal a free man on March 10, 2016, after the court exonerated him from the charge of causing financial loss to the state in the controversial GH¢51.2 million judgement debt paid to him by the state. He escaped prison for the second time in a year after the court, in a unanimous decision, declined to grant the state’s request for his acquittal to be overturned by the High Court on March 12, 2015.
The High Court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, had acquitted and discharged Woyome on two counts of defrauding by false pretenses, contrary to Section 131 (1) of the Criminal Offences Act (1960), Act 29, and causing financial loss to the State, contrary to Section 179 A (3) (a) of the Criminal Offences Act (1960), Act 29. But the state appealed on the grounds that the trial judge erred in law by not considering the evidence adduced by the prosecution. However, the Court of Appeal held a different position and freed him again.
Government deliberately protecting Woyome – NPP
The NPP after the Court of Appeal’s ruling accused the Mahama-led administration of deliberately refusing to retrieve the 51 million cedis judgment debt from Alfred Woyome. According to the party, even though there is a Supreme Court ruling asking the state to retrieve the money, government has deliberately through its actions refused to abide by the ruling. Director of Communications for the NPP, Nana Akomea, argued that the recent Court of Appeal ruling on the Woyome matter, is a clear indication that government is not interested in retrieving the money.
“…Mr. Woyome being paid ¢51.8m of taxpayers’ monies in 2010, clearly showed a deliberate pattern of high ranking NDC government officials, aided by highly placed public servants to collude, connive and conspire with NDC connected individuals to misappropriate taxpayers monies.”
Source: The General Telegraph
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