General News of Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Source: Daily Democrat

Amoah Collected A Billion From Woyome?

The Economic and organize crime office report submitted to the president on the payment of judgement debts concerning the CAN 2008 Stadia indicted some individuals including the Member of Parliament for Akuapim South, Hon. O.B Amoah.

The managing editor of the Al-Hajji Newspaper, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature, has said O.B.Amoah who was also a former deputy minister for education in the kuffuor administration benefited from the avoidable payment of the judgement debt to Alfred Woyome.

According to the Managing Editor,O.B. Amoah had an insider information to the payment and collected his share at various times of the payment and therefore cannot extricate himself from the crime.

Alhaji Bature first made the allegation when contributing to panel discussion on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem over the payment of judgement debt to the embattled businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome. Caught pant down in the web,O.B. Amoah quickly admitted that he has taken money from Woyome but refused to disclose the amount involved to good people of his constituency and Ghanaians .

The question the people he represents at parliament want to know is how much did he collect and why the security agency has not arrested him and is walking freely on the streets of Accra after he admitted to the crime collecting over one billion cedis from Woyome. In an interview with the Accra-based private radio station, Radio Gold, Hon Amoah was pinned down to finally accept that he benefited from the beleaguered businessman after coming face to face with the expose from The Al-Hajj. He also admitted that Mr. Alfred Woyome has been his close buddy for years and he come to his office and residence regularly when he was the deputy minister of Education and Sports.

Below is the excerpt of the interview he had with Radio Gold's Alhassan Sunyini yesterday.

Radio Gold: Welcome to the show Hon. O.B. Amoah, how would you describe your relationship with Alfred Woyome. Hon. OB Amoah: I know Alfred Woyome , if I say I don't know him am not speaking the truth. Since 2005 when I was made deputy minister at the then Ministry of Education and Sports to Jan.2009, four years in office, I knew Woyome very well; even when I was living in Cantonments he used to come to my house. In the office, almost every staff knew that Woyome used to come to the office. So, I wouldn't deny anywhere that I didn't know Alfred Woyome. Radio Gold: Did you ever benefit from Alfred Woyome financially? Has he given you money before for whatever purposes?

O.B. Amoah: For whatever purpose? When it comes to fundraising, we take funds from all sorts of people, and I don't see why anybody will tie it to judgment debt. When it comes to fundraising we take funds for all purposes and from all sectors.

Radio Gold: Was Woyome ever a source of fundraising for you, sir? O.B. Amoah: I'll reserve my right to answer that one until I consult my lawyers. I don't want to engage Bature on this matter.

Radio Gold: Has he ever given you money before? O.B. Amoah: Please I reserve my right to take any step I want to take. If I make any statement it will prejudice my right to take certain steps I want to take.

Radio Gold: Is it true that he has given you money? O.B. Amoah: I said that for several purposes anybody can give you money. I'll never lie if Alfred Woyome has given me money…because it will not solve any problem.

Radio Gold: So it will be a lie to say Woyome has never given you money? O.B. Amoah: What do you mean by it will be a lie? What I said was that for fundraising purposes, Woyome can contribute to your fundraising efforts but it didn't have link for him going for judgment debt.

Radio Gold: So, Judgment debt aside, did he contribute to your campaign? O.B. Amoah: Please if it is this line you want to continue, am afraid I would have to end this conversation. If you have any other question you want answered go ahead, but the answer I gave you on this matter am not changing it.