Following the dismissal of the businessman’s suit at the ICC, Woyome petitions African Court to seek redress.
Long embattled Ghanaian businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome has now run to the African Court on Human and People’s Rights, with the rigorous GHC51.2 million judgement debt case. Citi Fm report reveal that Woyome filed his suit at the continental law court in Arusha Tanzania, just a day after his petition at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) was thrown out.
According to a statement from Woyome’s lawyers, his petition to the African Court seeks redress over some declarations made by The Supreme Court of Ghana.
The statement has it that, “The Supreme Court of Ghana erred by linking Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the Waterville contract by ‘necessary linkage’ using the now ‘residual unspecified Jurisdiction’ to ground ‘Justice ‘as their main Principle in ordering a refund of monies paid to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome legally under the laws of Ghana.”
In filing the suit which has case number Ref:AfCHPR/Reg./appl.001/2017/001, Woyome’s lawyers invoked Article 40 read together with Article 75 of the 1992 constitution of The Republic of Ghana, in lending credence to his prayers concerning the above stated complaint.
The statement also noted that all the requirements for the suit’s acceptance at the African Court has been duly met.
“…Ghana has ratified the necessary protocols of the African Court, recognized the competence of the African Court, and also submitted to the authority of the African Court. A preliminary determination of the case has been made and a prima facie case has been established by the African Court in favour of Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome…”
In addition, it was stated that Ghana has been ordered to appoint lawyers to represent the country not later than Tuesday, August 8, 2017. The country was also given a 30-day ultimatum from the 8th of August, to file their response.
Having made all other possible attempts to get himself acquitted of the unfavourable court rulings in Ghana, Woyome in March, 2017, ran to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for arbitration. Click here for more details.
Unfortunately, the international business court dismissed his suit on August 3, citing Article 6(4) of its Arbitration Rules, as well as the absence of established prima facie. Woyome was further charged an administrative expense of $5,000.
Mr Alfred Woyome has been lamenting being persecuted by the Supreme Court. The businessman complains that why his case is still on is simply because of the Supreme Court’s rejection of his mode of payment of the judgement debt.
According to him, he had wanted to pay GHc4 million, and spread the rest over a period of time; but his appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Woyome also revealed that he had been out of business since 2012 as he had lost all his businesses after his arrest in 2011 and subsequent trials.
Alfred Woyome was paid GH¢51.2 million in 2006, after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAN 2008 Nations Cup.
The businessman was however, indicted in an Auditor General’s report released in 2010, which claimed that the amount was paid illegally to him, thereby causing financial loss to the state.
Following the report, the Supreme Court in 2014 ordered him to refund the money. And the case has been on since then, going from court to court and taking different dimensions.
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