Court adjourns Woyome case to October 30

The Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra yesterday adjourned to October 30, 2013 the civil suit filed by the state to retrieve the GH¢51 million it says it paid mistakenly to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

Yesterday’s sitting was held in camera and both parties to the suit were tight-lipped over proceedings after the sitting.

The Attorney-General is currently in court seeking an order for the refund of the judgement debt of GH¢51,283,480.59 paid to Mr Woyome because, according to the state, it was procured by fraudulent means.

Among the reliefs contained in the writ filed at the Registry on January 16, 2012 by the Attorney-General is a declaration that the terms of settlement filed on June 4, 2010 to the effect that Mr Woyome should be paid the sum in three equal instalments of GH¢17,094,495.53 were procured by mistake on the part of the A-G and due to fraudulent misrepresentation by Mr Woyome.

Additionally, the A-G is seeking a declaration to set aside the consent judgement of the court on the grounds that Woyome had no contract with the government and consequently lacked a cause of action and the capacity to make the said claim in any court of competent jurisdiction.

But in his amended statement of defence and counter-claim, Woyome denied that the negotiation of the judgement obtained by him on May 24, 2010 was arrived at by mistake on the part of the A-G and that after he had obtained the judgement, he was invited by the A-G to a meeting on May 27, 2010.

As a result of the meeting, an agreement was reached that the judgement debt be steeled by the payment of GH¢41,811,480.59 as the judgement debt of five million euros or its cedi equivalent.

Woyome is currently standing trial at the Financial Division of the Fast Track High Court on two counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence.

He has, however, denied any wrongdoing.

Source: Daily Graphic