'Govt has no obligation towards Woyome'

Alfred Abgesi Woyome

A Chief State Attorney yesterday told the High Court in Accra that the government was not financially obligated to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome, because he was paid 3.6 million euros for raising funds for Waterville Holdings to construct three stadia for CAN 2008.

But the businessman refuted the state’s position and explained that, that money was paid to Mpowapak “and not Alfred Agbesi Woyome. The payment was in relation to structuring and not financial engineering.”
In seeking to punch holes into the evidence-in-chief of Woyome during cross-examination at the High Court’s sitting in Accra yesterday, Mrs Yvonne Attakorah Obuobisa, was emphatic that the state did not owe Woyome but he held a different view.
Woyome is standing trial at the High Court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, for allegedly putting in false claims to receive GH¢51.2 million from the government in 2010.
He has since completed his evidence-in-chief, which sought to justify why he was entitled to receive the said amount, but Mrs Obuobisa told him that he did not source for funding for the government to merit that amount.

Cross-examination

Rebutting Mrs Obuobisa’s statement, Woyome said he sourced funds as Alfred Agbesi Woyome for bids for the stadia construction project, which had been given concurrent approval by some state institutions.
The following transpired between Mrs Obuobisa and Woyome:
Mrs Obuobisa: After Mpowapak was fully paid for Baba Yara, El-Wak and Accra stadia, for  engaging in financial engineering services for Waterville, and the government of Ghana having paid Waterville all moneys, there is no claim open to you against the government of Ghana in respect of the three stadia.
Woyome: My Lord, that is incorrect. Mpowapak as a company has never sourced for funds for the three stadia. The issue on the stadia is not part of my claim to court.
Mrs Obuobisa: Tell us the role you played with respect to the three stadia
Woyome: The official role I played was in respect of purported annulment of the concurrent approval for the bid
Mrs Obuobisa: Are you saying you played no role as Alfred Agbesi Woyome in respect of the Accra, Baba Yara and El-Wak stadia?
Woyome: The specific role of Accra, Baba Yara and El-Wak stadia was not with the government of Ghana. It was with Waterville, which I referred to as HSBC fund sourcing
Mrs Obuobisa: In the expression of interest, which was advertised in the newspapers, it was stated that funding was to be on a turnkey basis. Are you aware of this?
Woyome: Yes my Lord
Mrs Obuobisa: And on a turnkey basis, companies that put in bid were to take care of their own funding, and that the government of Ghana will only come in when after the projects are successfully completed, and handed over.  The government will then be duty bound to pay the contract amount.
Woyome: That is not correct. The meaning of turnkey is that the project will be given to the government of Ghana as a complete project during hand over, but government pays via certificates of work done progressively.
Mrs Obuobisa: What you told the court about turnkey is definitely not, with emphasis on a capital D, not correct
Woyome: This is not correct my Lord
Hearing continues on November 3, 2014.