Arrest of businessman over payment of huge judgement highlighted in Ghanaian media - The arrest of a businessman who was paid a huge jugement debt, presentation of an interim report by the anti-graft institution on the matter, President John Evans Atta Mills’ rejection of legalisation of gay rights and the quarter-final berth of the Black Stars in the on-going African Cup of Nations were some of the major stories highlighted in the Ghanaian media this week.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) on Thursday submitted its interim report to President John Evans Atta Mills that covered the controversial payment of 51.28 million Ghana cedis judgement debt to businessman Alfred Woyome. (US$1.00=1.70 Ghana cedis)

The payment is arguably one of the most difficult challenges facing President Mills and details of the report may not easily put to rest the ongoing finger-pointing about who is to blame, as the opposition seeks to capitalize on it to paint the government as corrupt.

President Mills asked EOCO to investigate all judgement debts paid by his administration, including Mr Woyome’s claims, but the officials of the previous administration went to court and refused to appear before the anti-graft institution.

“EOCO releases report on Woyome: Betty, others indicted,” was the headline of the state-owned Ghanaian Times on the report.

The story said EOCO’s report implicated a number of government officials, particularly former Attorney-General, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, for failing to conduct due diligence; Mr Samuel Nerquaye-Tettey, Chief State Attorney, for his questionable role which aided the payment and Paul Asimenu, Legal Director at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for misleading the Attorney-General into the payment of the dubious judgement debt.

It said revealing a scheme of dealings on the judgement debts, the report indicted Mr Woyome for manipulating documents and making dubious claims for the money when he did not have a contract with the government to merit the action.

The report also implicated Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Education, Science and Sports in the previous administration and his deputy Mr O.B.  Amoah, for their actions which culminated in the liability of the debt to Waterville, the company which Woyome acted for as agent.

The Times said the report exonerated President Mills on his stance that he was not aware of the payment of the amount and lauded his attempts to prevent the payment of the debt by directing the Attorney-General to contest Woyome’s claims in court.

The headline of state owned Graphic read “The Woyome Saga: Former, current officials indicted.”

The newspaper said a former minister of Education, Science and ports in the Kufuor Administration, a former minister of Justice and Attorney General in the Mills Administration as well as two public officials have been indicted for complicity in the payment of 51.28 million Ghana cedis judgement debt to Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Another story in the Graphic had the headline “Woyome not entitled to payment” with the story saying that after investigations into the payment of the judgement debt EOCO has concluded that Mr Woyome was not entitled to the money paid to him by the government for the abrogation of contracts in respect of the construction of the stadiums for CAN 2008.

The report said “he manipulated documents and information and riding on the negligence and/or complicity of public officials, managed to receive money which he was clearly not entitled to”.

A third story in the Graphic on the subject had the headline “President ordered ministry not to pay debt.”

The story said it had been established that President Mills intervened on two occasions and ordered the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning not to effect payment of the judgement debt to Mr Woyome.

It quoted the report as saying it was on the president’s directive that the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr Kwabena Duffuor in turn issued instructions to stop the payment.

“It was at this stage that Mr Woyome caused a writ of summons to be issued in the High Court and made claims for payment.”

The pro-opposition Daily Guide had the headline “Woyome bribes State Attorney’s wife.”

The newspaper said it had now emerged that Mr Woyome did not only manipulate documents and information he used in filing for his claims, but also succeeded in bribing the wife of the Chief State Attorney.

The newspaper said: “It has been detected from his bank statement that he made a payment of an amount of 400,000 Ghana cedis to Gifty Nerquaye-Tettey, the wife of Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, the State Prosecutor handling the Woyome case at the Attorney General’s Department on June 16, 2011.

“Analysts have said this could be part of reasons why Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh put in a case of no defence on behalf of government, thereby leading to the payment of the money to Woyome which his family seems to have benefitted from.”

The report said, “It is worthy of note that the default judgment procured by Mr Woyome out of this singular delinquent action by Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh led to the seeming legitimisation of Mr Woyome’s claim.”

Barely 24 hours after the EOCO report was presented to President Mills, Mr Woyome was arrested by the police.

'Woyome is hot - In police custody for questioning,' was the headline of the Graphic. The paper said Mr Woyome was on Friday arrested by the polie for questioning in connection with his alleged receipt of 51.28 million Ghana cedis judgement debt by fraudulent means.

His arrest, according to the deputy minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, followed a directive by President Mills as part of a series of actions to deal with the controversial judgement debt saga.

The Ghanaian Times had the headline 'Woyome in cooler ...BNI hunts for others'.

“We'll not support gays – Prez,” was the headline of a story in the Graphic on President Mills’ affirmation that his government would not legalise gay rights.

Speaking on arrival from the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, President Mills said the Government stood by its position that homosexuality was against the culture and norms of Ghanaians and therefore the government would not go against the wishes of the people.

He said the government would not support the practice of homosexuality so long as Ghanaian society frowned on it.
The UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon was reported to have told African leaders at the AU meeting that discrimination based on sexual orientation had been ignored or even sanctioned by many states for far too long.

President Mills said his government would not support any legislation that would legalise homosexuality in the country.

The Ghanaian Times had the headline: “Gay rights? Prez declares again: No Way” with the story saying President Mills reiterated government's resolve against legalisation of homosexuality in Ghana.

He said the call by the UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon on African leaders to respect gay rights could not change Ghana's position.

“If the people we lead are not interested in the legalisation of homosexuality, I don't see how any responsible leader can allow it,' he said.

'We are not witch-hunting gays in Ghana, so one can't talk about discrimination against them and no one is moving from house to house identifying who is a gay and who is not. It is their own problem to be gays.”

“Stars for quarter-finals. They face Tunisia Sunday,” was the headline of the Graphic. The story said the Black Stars scored their 100th African Nations Cup goal in a 1-1 drawn game against a skillful Syli Nationale of Guinea to top Group D on seven points and book a date with Tunisia.

Emmanuel Agyeman-Badu scored the 100th goal from 20 metres in the 28th minute. Wilberforce Mfum scored the country’s first ever Nations Cup goal in 1963.

Ghana cruises to ¼ final was the headline of the Ghanaian Times with the story saying Ghana and Guinea fought out a 1-1 draw in a West African derby in group D of the Orange African Cup of Nations 2012 played in Franceville, Gabon.

Pana 04/02/2012