Attorney-General letters justify payment to Woyome

Mr Osarfo Buabeng, Counsel for Alfred Agbesi Woyome, at an Accra Fast Track High Court, Financial Division, tendered in evidence letters justifying the payment made to Mr Woyome.

The said letters allegedly originated from the Ministry of Justice and Attorney-General (AG).

At the last hearing, counsel for the accused  presented a letter written by Ebo Barton-Odro, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, addressed to the late President John Evans Atta Mills also justifying the payment of the GH¢51.2 million to Woyome.

According to the letter, Barton-Odro, the then Deputy Attorney-General, stated that the Attorney-General never hurried in entering settlement agreement with Woyome.

In his evidence, Mr Ahmed Suleiman, Acting Chief Director of the Ministry said the AG, who felt there was fraud in the document filed a writ in court for non-payment of the first installment, adding that the court in its judgment did not grant the request but ordered the AG to pay only the first installment of GH¢17,094483.53.

Mr Woyome obtained a default judgment when he went to court to fight the decision of the Ministry of Finance to reverse the payment of his two per cent fee agreed upon.

Witness said former Deputy A-G again indicated to the Ministry of Finance the role the accused played as a financial engineer in the CAN 2008 tournament.

He said on March 29, 2010, the Deputy A-G wrote another letter to the Ministry of Finance indicating why the A-G was of the view that the claims by the accused were justified so the officials should go ahead and pay him.

Mr Suleiman stated that when the then AG, Betty Mould Idrissu was served with the judgment, she decided to negotiate with the lawyers of the accused.

He said after the negotiation, the A-G, through a letter, communicated the outcome to the Ministry of Finance.

The case was adjourned to July 22.

Source: GNA