Former president Jerry John Rawlings has berated state prosecutors for scruffily handling businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome’s Gh¢51.2 million judgment debt case which led to his acquittal and discharge.

The marathon case came to an end on Thursday in an Accra High Court after judge John Ajet-Nassam ruled that state prosecutors failed to adduce evidence to implicate the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier.

Woyome left the court a free man after the presiding judge had cleared him of causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by false pretence. The judge said he was not convinced by the prosecution’s case, especially when they failed to present key witnesses - Betty Mould-Iddrisu and Ebo Barton Oduro - who were attorney general and deputy respectively when the judgment debt was paid.

Rawlings, who described Woyome as a “thief”, is unhappy about the outcome of the case, adding Ghanaians are “not serious” when it comes to the “fight against corruption”.

“This is the extent of corruption I keep talking about. I just read that they have freed the thief called [Alfred] Woyome. Why, because his accomplices [Betty Mould-Iddrisu and one other] in government were not produced in court for interrogation to provide vital evidence to incriminate him,” the ex-military leader told the family of one Isaac Tetteh when they called on him at his residence to inform him about the death of their loved one.

He added: “Because his collaborators were untouched he was also freed. The rot in government keeps aggravating. The Attorney General had let loose the collaborators so how can Woyome be prosecuted?

“We are not serious! Is that how to fight corruption? They are rather holding key positions in the party. Are we so stupid? What is wrong with our support base, can’t they observe what is going on?”

Meanwhile, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu had told Starr News on the eve of Thursday’s ruling that she did nothing untoward in the payment of the judgment debt to Mr Woyome.