Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome says that former Attorney General, Martin Amidu has health problems that was why he has been ranting and chasing him to refund the GHC51.2million he received as judgement debt from the state.
According to him, Mr Amidu was being “used by unseen forces as a weapon against innocent people and people who are doing very well including the President of Ghana who is seeking re-election.”
“Martin has a problem, if he wants to challenge me and everything that I have said, he should go to court immediately and we will ask the court to call the appropriate authorities, so that we bring that thing [health status] and disclose it, because I’m not going to be the one to disclose it,” Mr Woyome said at a press conference on Friday.
Is Amidu’s problem psychological?
“In fact, those using Martin are using him against himself. That it is why sometimes I feel restrained to either sue him for defamation or anything because I understand what is the problem of Martin. And I don’t want to go on that tangent. So why do you use such a weapon to fight in a political season, that weapon is against himself.”
Asked if he thinks Amidu’s problem was psychological in nature and whether he was going to raise an objection to that in court, Mr Woyome said: “I don’t know.”
“Martin Alamisi Amidu in the same application that he sent to court made certain averments, which were not unsubstantiated [sic], some were lies, pure lies, the court expunged it…. Why is he doing this? The man can write something tomorrow again, he will continue writing so you’ll continue reading it, I have given you a hint.”
GH¢4million ‘cooked’ cheque
Mr Woyome was not happy that Mr Amidu had referred to the cheque he [Woyome] issued for GH¢4million to settle part of the GH¢51.2 million judgement debt paid to him by the state as fake.
Consequently he organised a press conference to explain himself last Friday and according to him, he issued the cheque in the name of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) because he was not sure who should be the recipient.
“I made the cheque without writing who it is meant for because I was confused as to who should be the recipient,” he explained.
Martin has health issues – Woyome
Focusing on Amidu as an anti-corruption crusader, Mr Woyome said Amidu was very inconsistent.
“Recently in this very court he said several things against me, several things against the President and the judge expunged it.
He swore an oath before the Supreme Court and they expunged it, you know the consequences for that, and people who know about it don’t even want to send Martin to jail because he has an issue, I may also have an issue, everybody may have an issue, it is not a matter that should be said, five years I have not said anything about this, nobody has said anything about it but where he is carrying the whole thing to, the nation needs to understand what is happening to Martin.
“I didn’t want to mention and talk about him but enough of Martin. This is the truth about what happened that Martin was relinquished of his duty through sacking.”
“I’d have let this rest but seeing his statement today, and he is all over blaming the current government that if opposition government is elected, they will jail me under Article 2. I don’t see any law for that.”
Why Amidu was sacked as Minister
Going back into memory lane in 2011, Mr Woyome said something happened between him [Amidu] and the President of Ghana then [Prof J. E.A. Mills]. “I’m challenging Martin Amidu to tell Ghanaians what happened between him and the President of Ghana.
“First Martin Amidu when the current President (John Mahama) was chosen as the running mate [in 2008], Martin went haywire. When the election was won, Martin was giving problems, so they gave him an office in the Castle to work. When Martin was in that office, he was still giving troubles, he felt that he must be the Vice President, so they said, what do you want?
“They gave him a position in the Interior Ministry, Martin was still complaining, he doesn’t get this, foot soldiers are coming to his office and he doesn’t know what to do and that it is his right to be the Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana.”
Woyome continued: “He was giving problems and so there were some senior members in the party who felt he must be calmed down, so Aunty Betty (Betty Mould Iddrisu) was asked to move from Attorney General to Education and Martin was given that position.
And since then he felt that anybody who is Attorney General under the NDC regime, that person should listen to him [Amidu], he must be the appointee, everything, they must listen to him. If you don’t do that, you are in trouble with him.
Amidu attempted to beat Prof Mills – Woyome
“Martin Alamisi Amidu was called by the President of Ghana during that time because of an issue concerning his health. And in that meeting Martin Alamisi Amidu attempted to beat the President of the Republic of Ghana, so he was supposed to be sacked.
“Immediately Martin went out and made accusations that, my colleague Ministers and every other person are corrupt and that, this and that.
“So the President [Mills] asked him, Mr Martin, seven days give me proof of those corruptions, or I sack you. Martin then went and hatched on Alfred Woyome which he himself is involved and went to court.
“Fine! I’m ready, the money that was paid me then, I signed that if there was a problem I’ll refund it, that is it is on record, so I didn’t care, let us go. Then he started the media issues. Seven days arrived and he didn’t prove any single record and I challenge him to bring the list of Ministers in the government of Atta Mills that were corrupt that he said so, you have the records. He has never proven one.
“So because of that the President sacked him, he was not sacked because there was any gargantuan anything there, today I’m speaking to you for the first time, it is a lie.
Amidu paid Woyome
According to Woyome, it was during Martin Amidu’s tenure as Attorney General that the last tranche of the money (GH¢14million) was paid. “He should come and tell Ghanaians why he didn’t stop it,” he said.
“So if he is saying that unconstitutional and everything about the Attorney General, he rather committed the unconstitutional issue and went to the Supreme Court for interpretation.
Again Martin Amidu on record, the Attorneys send him memos on this matter and he said, “I cannot countermand the decision arrived by my predecessor.
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