General News of Friday, 25 November 2016

Source: 3news.com

OccupyGhana vows action against Woyome’s ‘sweetheart deal’ with gov’t

Alfred Agbesi Woyome Alfred Agbesi Woyome

Pressure group OccupyGhana is to deploy full legal arsenal to compel the government of Ghana to make full disclosure on yet another 35 million-cedi contract it signed with embattled businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome last year.

The group in a statement issued Thursday night claimed it has uncovered what it described as a “sweetheart deal” between the government and Anator Holding Company Limited owned by Mr Woyome who is mired in a legal tussle with government over a GHC51.2 million wrongfully paid to him as judgement debt.

The group said it “is shocked, outraged and appalled to discover that while the nation is still reeling from the effect of the Alfred Woyome judgment debt scandal, and the stalled and hesitant attempts by the Attorney-General to execute the judgment of the Supreme Court, the Government of Ghana has, on the blind side of Ghanaians, entered into a ‘confidential’ and potentially lucrative agreement with Woyome, acting through one of his companies, Anator Holding Company Limited.

” Per the contract, OccupyGhana claims Woyome’s company is to use Ghana’s goodwill to raise an initial financing of US$8.5M from banks around the world just for feasibility studies .

Dated December 21, 2015, Anator Holding per the contract is to “develop deep seaports (including) industrial parks and green townships” in Ghana.

The Agreement is signed by Woyome as Executive Chairman of Anator Holding Company Limited, and the then Minister for Transport, Dzifa Aku Attivor based on what OccupyGhana described as “a non-binding scantily drafted Memorandum of Understanding” between Anator holding and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority dated August 28, 2015 Speaking on the matter Friday morning, a leading member of the OccupyGhana, Egbert Faibille Jnr, told Joy FM that their expose does not in any way suggest the group is against businessmen dealing with the government.

“Nobody has an issue with businessmen or any businessman but in any serious minded country; in any serious nation, one would have stayed off such kinds of arrangements with any company in which Mr. Alfred Agbesi have an interest in,” Mr Faibille said He wondered why the government would enter into such a framework agreement when it is already reeling under so much criticisms for the way it has handled the scandalous Alfred Agbesi Woyome GHC51.2 million judgement debt case.

“Immediately, here and now full disclosure ought to be made. I believe that the government of Ghana ought to explain to the good people of this country why it is gambling with its integrity and for that matter the very soul of the people of Ghana. “There are a lot of weapons available in our legal arsenal and all of them will be deployed including going to court,” Mr Faibille hinted.

click here to read full statement