President John Mahama will retrieve every pesewa illegally paid businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the Communication Minister, Edward Omane Boamah has disclosed.
Disclosing the president’s intention on Monday, at the meet the press series, Mr. Boamah said “John Mahama’s commitment to retrieving money paid illegally to individuals including Woyome remains unabated.”
Woyome in 2010 was paid GHC51 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Supreme Court in 2014 ordered Woyome to pay back the amount after former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Martin Amidu, challenged the legality of the judgement debt paid the businessman, Watterville and Isofoton. Following delays in the payment, the Supreme Court unanimously granted the Attorney General clearance to execute its judgement ordering Woyome to refund the money to the state.
However, two years after the government’s failure to execute the judgement of the Supreme Court, Amidu went back to court to ask for a chance to orally cross-examine Woyome over the controversial GHS51milion judgement debt, claiming that President John Mahama is against efforts to retrieve the money.
He alleged the government and Woyome are in cahoots and will do everything possible to delay the process that will enable the retrieval of the money.
“They don’t want the case to come on and they will buy as much time as possible,” Amidu stated in an interview on Citi FM.
But speaking on Monday, Omane Boamah rubbished the attempts to link Mahama to corruption stating “Mahama’s record in fighting judgement debts is superior to the New Patriotic Party’s.”
“It serves no purpose to play political football with judgement debts,” he added.
According to him, in less than four years the Mahama-led government had successfully saved Ghana more than $1bn in judgement debt.
The government, he stated, is implementing the National Anti-Corruption Action Plan adding that “Our worst Transparency International ranking is better than NPP’s best.
“President Mahama’s government has done more to tackle corruption and judgement debt issues than previous government,” added Omane Boamah
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