Rallying Support to Retrieve GHC51.2 Million from Alfred Agbesi Woyome
Many a Ghanaian was shocked at the Appeal Court's decision on Thursday 14 February 2013, to return the bank accounts of Alfred Agbesi Woyome to him. Many will recall that his accounts were frozen by the Economic and Organized Crimes Office (EOCO) following his alleged swindling of Ghana out of GHC51.2 million on false pretences.
? He claimed to have signed a contract with the Kufuor/Aliu Maham-led NPP government to rehabilitate three stadia in Ghana for CAN 2008. A detail investigation into his claim based on the papers in his possession that he submitted to EOCO, they found him to have clearly defrauded Ghana. They then ordered his accounts and properties frozen, be arrested and remanded in prison, and then charged to court.
? The Appeal Court ordered that except his accounts held at the Agricultural Development Bank into which the GHC51.2 million-judgment debt was paid to him, all his other bank accounts are free.
? I would have condemned the Appeal Court if courts based their decisions on morality but they are not. Courts base their decisions on available hard evidence, facts, circumstantial evidence in some cases, and legal technicalities. No wonder therefore that the intentional complicit dillydallying by the State prosecution team has compelled the Appeal Court to issue a decision based on technicalities - (there seems to be no grounds for prosecuting him based on lack of facts as deduced from the actions of the prosecution team).
? If again, court decisions were based on morality, I would have questioned the judges thus, what happens if Woyome was found guilty at the hearing of the substantive case? He is accused of duping Ghana of a huge sum of money he is not due. The Financial District Court presided over by Justice Ajet-Nassam is yet to hear and rule on the case that has been pending in the court for over a year.
Whenever the case is due for hearing, the conniving State prosecutors who are naively stuck in their ignorance, parochial selfishness, and typical Ghanaian-mindedness intended to underestimate the general intelligence of Ghanaians, come out with flimsy excuses to request for the adjournment of the case. By their tactical obnoxious attitudes to let Woyome walk out of the court a free man to enjoy his stolen money, they always keep saying, "we cannot find our witness so please postpone the case to a later date"
? If Woyome by the grace of the private suit I will bring against him is found guilty, wherewithal is he going to refund the money he has so dubiously acquired from the State? Is he having the entire money stolen from Ghana sitting in that one account (Agricultural Development Bank) with interest accruing? I am afraid not. A crook like him will not hesitate to withdraw all the monies in his other accounts, sell off his properties and transfer the proceeds elsewhere or into the accounts of his friends and relatives. Do I accuse the Appeal Court for not being patriotic enough by indirectly assisting Woyome to abscond with money so illegally taken from Ghana? I cannot because argument based on morality is not in their law books, but facts and evidence.
? Anyway, I have come up with a solution to tackle Woyome. He can run as fast as, or faster than, Usain Bolt, (the world's fastest 100 metres runner) but he can never hide. I want other Ghanaian patriots to join me bring a private criminal suit against Alfred Agbesi Woyome. This is the only way to retrieve the money from him and probably, see him rot in prison for sometime. We cannot bank our hopes on the State prosecutors as wily as they are.
? My White legal minds have advised me through legal consultations I held with them that as long as I can prove Woyome stealing the money has personally affected me (adversely), I could bring a successful private prosecution against him. It is for this resolutely determined reason that I call on fellow likeminded Ghanaians to join me sue him. We should never allow him to walk away with the money assuming all Ghanaians are fools and are without brains to perceive ones intentions when the person is cheating them.
? Among my various reasons to prove how I have directly been affected by the thievery inflicted on Ghana by Woyome is: my White colleagues tease me for being the biggest fool on earth if with all my seeming big mouth and pretences to be more intelligent than them, I am unable to help collect the money from Woyome. They mock me very often and at any least opportunity. They tell it to my face, "You Ghanaians are stupid" if upon all the self-confession by Woyome not to sign a contract for the project for which he has accused you of breach of contract, you allow him to pocket the money. I have since lost my previously enjoyed self-esteem in the presence of my White colleagues. Their mockeries have reduced me to Mr. Nobody in their eyes. I have subsequently become very stressful and emotional hence, venting my anger on others in my write-ups.
? I have suffered other consequent serious problems, worries and humiliations following Woyome's daylight robbery inflicted on Mother Ghana. I reserve that until the private criminal suit I shall shortly be bringing against Woyome.
? I need the help of as many selfless and patriotic Ghanaians as I can to rally together to tackle Woyome in court. I am doing this, believing that "one tree cannot make a forest" and "in unity we stand but in division we fall" I need the free services of some dedicated Ghanaian lawyers as well. Why should we allow Woyome and his conniving gang of the Ghanaian version of the Arabian "Ali Baba and his forty thieves" to not only steal from us but also, take us for unprecedented gargantuan fools?
? Please read my articles published on Ghanaweb, modernghana.com and spyGhana.com titled, "Are the State Prosecutors on Woyome Case Serious at all?", "Appeal Court's ruling on "Woyomegate Scandal will not change…" and "A Pressure Group to Tackle Alfred Agbesi Woyome in Court". They were published on Wednesday 13 February 2013, Saturday 16 February 2013 and Sunday, 17 February 2013, respectively.
? Kofi Basoah, please send me your Cell phone (mobile phone) number via my email address if you are reading me.
? He who wants to be part of the patriots fighting to stop official corruption by taking the bull (Woyome) by his horn, please do contact me on [email protected]
Rockson Adofo