Woyome "Jumbles" Opening Defence In Ghc51m Judgment Debt Saga

Alfred Agbesi Woyome, on day one when he opened his defence in the ongoing GH�51.2 million judgment debt trial, explained that he deserved the "gargantuan" amount of money paid him by the state but failed to impress the trial judge following his inability to put together his thought to make a precise presentation, leading to the judge adjourning sitting. The Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice, Marietta Brew Appiah Oppong, was at the Economic and Financial Division of the Accra High Court where the case is being heard, to represent the state in the case. Also in court was the state prosecutor who has been handling the case, Mr. Matthew Amponsah and a team of lawyers from the AG�s Department. In his open defense led by his lead counsel Lawyer Sarfo Boabeng, the accused, Mr. Woyome said the Kufuor administration endorsed the role he played during Ghana�s bid to host the CAN 2008 tournament. According to him, Ghana won the bid at the time it was HIPC during which there was a restriction on developing countries using soft loans to fund sporting activities. Mr. Woyome suggested the need to rebrand Ghana as a tourism destination by the Kufuor administration to prove to the Britain Wood institutions how the CAN 2008 tournament was going to be funded. The accused claimed the Kufuor administration lauded his idea and gave him the opportunity to look for funds to facilitate projects leading to the CAN 2008 tournament. As a close associate to the former Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Ghadaffi, Mr. Woyome disclosed how he succeeded in convincing the Libyan government to give Ghana crude oil through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Mr. Woyome said he was in constant touch with the immediate past New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie who was at that time Deputy Managing Director of the GNPC.