Court to announce judgment date in Woyome Appeal

The Court of Appeal has adjourned to January 12, 2016, and is expected to announce the date for judgment of an appeal filed by the state in relation to Alfred Woyome’s acquittal in the GH₵51 million saga.

Meanwhile, the Court has directed counsels for state and defence to file all necessary responses and documents by December 22.

The Attorney-General’s Department, on March 13, 2015, filed a notice of appeal to overturn the High Court’s exoneration of Woyome.

It said the judgment acquitting and discharging the respondent for the offences of defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the State should be set aside.

Woyome was on Thursday, March 12, 2015 acquitted and discharged on two counts of defrauding the State of GH₵51 million by false pretence and causing financial loss to the State.

The High Court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam at the time, said prosecutors failed to prove the ingredients of fraud to warrant the court to convict Woyome.

But the notice of appeal filed and signed by a Chief State Attorney, Mrs Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa said “that the accused person be convicted of the offences of defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the State.”

“The judge erred in law when he stated that the prosecution had woefully failed to establish a case against the accused when he had established a prima facie case against him.

“That having called upon the accused person to open his defence, the judge had established a prima facie case against the accused person and his failure thereon to assess the defence of the accused person as against the evidence led by the prosecution was wrong in law”.

The notice of appeal also stated that “the judgment cannot be supported having regard to the evidence adduced at the trial.”

“The finding of the trial judge that persons such as Betty Mould Idrissu, Honourable Barton Oduro, Samuel Nerquaye Tetteh and Paul Asimenu were material witnesses and failure to call them was fatal to the case of the prosecution was wrong in law,” the notice of appeal stated

“The judge erred by displaying a biased assessment of the evidence of the prosecution and mounting unwarranted attacks on the prosecution.

“The entire judgment is wrongful in law. Additional grounds may be filed upon receipt of the record of proceedings,” it explained.

Source: GNA