A-G rejects Woyome's request to renegotiate outstanding debts

General News of Thursday, August 1, 2019

Source: 3news.com

2019-08-01

Attorney General Gloria Akuffo rejected the request of businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome to renegotiate the debt arrears of 51.2 million cedi that she had illegally paid by the government there in 10 years.

In the past four years, the government has chased the businessman to obtain the repayment of 51.2 million cedis after the Supreme Court in 2014 declared the payment illegal.

Although Woyome initially reached an agreement with the government to repay the amount in installments, it violated the payment plan after paying only 4 million cedis, forcing the government to pursue its properties to finance the debt.

In July of this year, the Supreme Court gave AG the green light for the sale of three Woyome properties valued at 20 million cedis, to cover part of the 47.2 million ceded that it owed to l & # 39; State.

Even before the decision of the Supreme Court, the businessman, in a note and two separate letters dated July 3, 5 and 8, had asked to negotiate with the Secretary-General and his team to discuss new provisions for the payment of the outstanding amount.

However, in his response to the above note and letters, the Secretary General dismissed the businessman's idea, citing "obvious reasons".

In one of the letters soliciting a meeting with the co-chair and his team, Woyome would have a proposed affidavit in support of an application for stay of execution and payment in installments.

According to AG's response letter from 3news.com, the businessman had sought to "discuss the details of the affidavit so we could reach an amicable settlement" before completing it in court. .

"In the note and letters you requested for a meeting with the Attorney General's team to negotiate the outstanding debt," recalled a letter to Woyome on July 22 and signed by MP A-G Godfred Yeboah Lady.

"Unfortunately, the Honorable Attorney General is not able to access your request for obvious reasons," adds the response letter.

Context

On July 29, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered Woyome to repay 51.2 million ¢ to the state on the grounds that he had obtained funds from an unconstitutional and invalid contract entered into between the company. State and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006 for the construction of stadiums for the 2008 Africa Nations Cup, which hosted Ghana.

The court found that the contracts on which Mr. Woyome had formulated and received the complaint were contrary to Article 181 (5) of Ghana's 1992 Constitution, which provided that such contracts were to be concluded and approved by the parliament.

On March 1, 2016, Mr. Woyome asked the court to give him three years to pay back the money, but the court refused to grant him his wish.

However, it reimbursed 4 million GH ¢ in November 2016 and promised to pay the remaining balance in quarterly installments of 5 million GH ¢ as of 1 April 2017.

This did not materialize after the businessman started a litany of court cases in the Supreme Court to back up his case, all of which were dismissed.

In addition to fighting in the country, Mr Woyome has sought compensation from the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), based in Paris, France, and the African Court of Justice, based in Arusha, Tanzania.