General News of Friday, 18 November 2016

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

Martin Amidu has done very well – Maurice Ampaw

Maurice Ampaw - Lawyer Maurice Ampaw - Lawyer

Private legal practitioner, lawyer Maurice Ampaw has rubbished suggestions by some lawyers and the Deputy Attorney General, Dominic Ayine that the Supreme Court has set a bad precedent in granting Martin Amidu’s request to orally examine Alfred over the GHC51.2 million debt.

The Deputy Attorney General and some other lawyers especially form the ruling government have said, the request is a bad precedent being set by the apex court when it granted Martin Amidu’s request to orally examine businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

The former attorney general Martin Amidu applied to orally examine the embattled businessman after the Attorney General’s office withdrew its earlier request to orally examine the businessman.

The court presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah said the plaintiff has a right to orally cross examine Mr Alfred Woyome on his assets with regards to the payment of the GCH51.2 million judgment debt to him.

The embattled businessman has been ordered to reappear before the court on Thursday, November 24, 2016 to be orally cross examined by Mr Martin Amidu.

Alfred Woyome himself has accused the court of prosecuting him and chided Martin Amidu over his action. But Maurice Ampaw is of the view that, the action taken by the one time running mate of the late Mills is for the good of Ghana.

According to him, the Attorney General has failed to retrieve the money for years after the apex court ordered it to and for Amidu who acted on behalf of citizens, and in the spirit and defense of the constitution applied to orally examine him [Woyome], he should be rather commended.

Lawyer Ampaw alleged that government and the Attorney General held Ghanaians hostage by refusing to retrieve the money and was grateful to God that the court in its wisdom granted Amidu’s request.

"If Woyome was wrongfully paid and a Ghanaian has gone to court to ensure that he [Woyome] refund the money, why should he be vilified? He has done the right thing. He is defending the constitution of the Republic of Ghana. The money is for Ghanaians and the court ordered him to refund it but the Attorney General has protected Woyome at the instruction of the president. But the court has now paved the way for us to retrieve our money back."

He also lambasted President Mahama over his comments on the Woyome saga adding, the President has not shown any commitment in fighting corruption.

He added that the action taken by Amidu is grounded in Article 2 of the 1992 constitution.