Supreme Court of Ghana has placed an embargo on shares owned by the businessman, Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, in eleven (11) companies, following his GH¢51.2 million indebtedness to the state, Today has learnt.
The apex court action follows a motion filed by the Attorney-General (A-G) in May 17, 2017 which prayed the court to impose a “charging order” on all the shares owned by the businessman in the 11 companies.
The affected shares of the embattled businessman include those in Anator Holding Company Limited, AAW Management Consulting Services Limited, Green Township Security Services Company Limited, Anator Construction Company Limited, Woyome Brothers International Limited and Stewise Anator Company Limited.
The rest are Stewise Shopping Company Limited, Green Townships and Industrial Parks Development Company Limited, Anator Power Company Limited, Green Townships (GH) Company Limited and Special Economic Zone International Trading Company Limited.
Per the order, the self-acclaimed financier of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) must appear before the court on Thursday, June 29, 2017 to explain why the embargo should not be made permanent.
“A copy of the order should be served on the said judgment/debtor to appear before this court on Thursday, 29th June, 2017 to explain orally why the charging order should not be made absolute,” the order stated.
The Supreme Court order was granted by Mr. Justice A. A. Benin, who sat in as a sole judge.
It would be recalled that in a judgment on July 29, 2014, the Supreme Court ordered Mr. Woyome to refund GH¢51.2 million judgment debt which was paid to him between 2009 and 2010.
According to the court, Mr. Woyome had no valid contract with the state and, therefore, did not deserve the money paid him.
The legal action which gave rise to the judgment was initiated by a former Attorney General, Mr. Martin A. B. Amidu.
Since that judgment, Mr. Amidu, known as ‘Citizen Vigilante,’ had mounted a number of legal battles to ensure that Mr. Woyome refunds the money to the state.
In 2016, he filed an action at the Supreme Court to be given the opportunity to orally examine Mr. Woyome over how he [Woyome] intended to repay the money.
The move, was after the then AG had discontinued the request to orally examine the businessman, after the two parties had agreed on a payment module in which Mr. Woyome was reported to have paid GH¢4 million to the state.
Although the Supreme Court granted his prayer, Mr. Amidu abandoned the oral examination when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the 2016 election.
According to him (Mr. Martin Amidu), the NPP had promised to retrieve the money as a matter of urgency and, therefore, there was the need for him to give the government the space to do so.
Meanwhile, Mr. Woyome has dragged the A-G to the African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania, in the matter of the GH¢51.2 million he owes the state.
In his estimation, the Supreme Court violated his human rights when it ruled that he should refund to the state the GH¢51.2 million which he obtained through court processes.
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