The controversies surrounding businessman
Alfred Agbesi Woyome keeps increasing as pressure group OccupyGhana says it has
discovered another GH¢35 million contract which was awarded to him.Mr
Woyome is yet to refund a GH¢51.2 million judgement debt he obtained from the
state which according to the Supreme Court was acquired through unconstitutional
and invalid contracts between the state and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006
for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008.
A new discovery according to
a statement by OccupyGhana says "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.”
24th NOVEMBER,
2016
OCCUPYGHANA® PRESS
STATEMENT
WOYOME AGAIN! GH?35 MILLION CONTRACT
DISCOVERED: OCCUPYGHANA® EXPOSES GOVERNMENT
OccupyGhana® is
shocked, outraged and appalled to discover this: 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.
This
same Anator Holding Company, in the current proceedings in court, is one of the
companies that has filed an interpleader, claiming to be the owner of two of
Woyome’s properties that the Government has finally managed to attach in
execution of the judgment. That matter is still pending and
unresolved.
We have seen a Framework Agreement dated as recently as 21st
December 2015, for Anator Holding 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. That Agreement was entered into on
the basis of a non-binding scantily drafted Memorandum of Understanding entered
into between the same Woyome company and the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority
on the same subject on 28th August 2015.
The Framework Agreement with
Ghana is expressed to have been entered into so that Woyome’s company can raise
an initial financing of US$8.5M just for feasibility studies. In other words,
Woyome is relying on the country’s goodwill to raise financing for a sweetheart
deal that he has entered into with the GPHA and is possibly shopping around
banks all over the world for money, on the back of this agreement.
That
bogus Agreement was signed with the express approval of Cabinet, as conveyed by
a letter signed by the Chief of Staff from the Office of the President, dated
16th December 2015. It is instructive to point out that the Agreement was signed
on the same day that the Cabinet approval was received by the Ministry of
Transport.
We have seen how Woyome operates. He hit us for GH¢51.2M that
he did not deserve, on the basis of a non-existent contract. Our Government and
its lawyers, either unconcerned or guilty of complicity, sat back when Woyome
went to court and obtained a default judgment against us.
Even though
Mr. Martin Amidu has obtained judgment for the people of Ghana, we are
struggling to recover that money from him, and this same Anator Holding is
battling to stop us from selling at least two of Woyome’s properties to pay the
debt.
It, therefore, beggars belief that in the face of all of these, our
government would enter into any kind of agreement involving the same character
and/or his companies.
The irony of the date that agreement was signed
cannot be lost on us. 21st December 2015 was the date that the former Minister
of Transport, Dzifa Attivor, appeared in Parliament to lament that her Ministry
was broke and that its budget was “woefully inadequate to meet developmental
needs of the sector.” Incidentally, that was also the date that the impugned
Smarttys deal, involving the same Dzifa Attivor, broke in Parliament.
We
are shocked beyond words! We demand from the Government, full disclosure and a
full explanation of the circumstances surrounding this contract. Who authorised
it? Did the President know that Dzifa Attivor was entering into this contract on
our behalf, and if so, did he do anything to stop it? Did the President know
about the Cabinet approval? We demand from the Government and GPHA evidence that
all proper statutory and procurement approvals were duly obtained in entering
into these agreements and memoranda with Woyome. Further, we demand that the
Government immediately cancels that agreement.
Woyome has our money. He
obtained that money under dubious circumstances. Thanks to Mr. Martin Amidu, we
have judgment against him. He has failed to pay. We should not be doing business
either with him or with any corporate entity that he owns, controls or is
associated with, under any circumstances.
Yours, in unwavering service to
God and Country,
OccupyGhana®
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