General News of Thursday, 3 November 2016

Source: Bright Dzakah

Reject Mahama over Woyome's cash - Casley-Hayford

Sydney Casely-Hayford Sydney Casely-Hayford

A leading member of pressure group Occupy Ghana, Sydney Casely-Hayford has called on Ghanaians to reject President John Dramani Mahama at the December polls over what has become known as ‘Woyome Saga’.

According to Sydney Casely-Hayford, President Mahama has not exhibited and shown the will power to retrieve the judgment debt ‘wrongly’ paid to businessman Alfred Woyome.

Following a seeming turn around by the A-G department to serve notice announcing discontinue of the oral examination of beleaguered Alfred Agbesi Woyome, Occupy Ghana in a press statement has accused the Attorney General of attempting to protect businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome and his accomplices in the controversial GHc 51 million judgment debt saga.

A notice of discontinuance dated October 26, 2016 from the Attorney General stated that “please take notice that the 1st Defendant Judgment Creditor [Attorney General] herein has this day [26th Day of October 2016] discontinued the present application to orally examine the 3rd Defendant Judgment Debtor [Alfred Agbesi Woyome] with liberty to reapply.”

However, speaking to Bright Kwesi Asempa host of Onua fm morning show Yen Sem Pa, Sydney Casely-Hayford said the latest move by the AG department, has come as a confirmation that the ruling government has a soft spot for corruption.

He questioned what the motive could be for the Legal arm of the government to take such a decision at the time all Ghanaians are calling on President Mahama to retrieve the 51 million cedis judgment debt.

“We always maintained that the President and the ruling party have made up their mind not to retrieve the money and this is a confirmation”

Sydney Casely-Hayford maintained that until the President ensures that Ghanaians tax doled out to ‘financier’ of his party is retrieved, Ghanaians should show the president the exit on December 7.

“The president has demonstrated by his actions that they are not willing to take our money back so it is time he and his ministers leave office, the electorates must vote against them”

Background

Alfred Woyome was paid ¢51 million after he claimed that he helped Ghana to raise funds to construct stadia for purposes of hosting the CAN 2008 Nations Cup.

However an Auditor General’s report released in 2010, said the amount was paid illegally to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier.

The Supreme Court in 2014 ordered Mr. Woyome to pay back ¢51 million fraudulently taken from the state, after Mr. Martin Amidu, a former Attorney General challenged the legality of the judgment debt paid the businessman, Waterville, and Isofoton.

Following delays in retrieving the money, the Supreme Court judges unanimously granted the Attorney-General clearance to execute the court’s judgment ordering Mr. Woyome to refund the cash to the state.