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Press Release
NPP, December 19, 2003
Part One
PART TWO
STATEMENT BY THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT
DUBIOUS SETTLEMENT OF CLAIM OF GH¢41,811,480.59
According to Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu, “Her office was of the
mistaken belief that there was no defence to the claim and
therefore did not file a Statement of Defence” and “That it
has now come to the knowledge of the Applicants that there
is a defence to the action” and “Furthermore the terms of
settlement stated an amount of GH¢51,283,480.59 instead of
an amount of GH¢41,811,480.59”
H. On 9th July, 2010, the application to set aside the terms
of settlement was refused and the terms adopted as consent
judgement of the Attorney General and Alfred Woyome.
I. After the refusal of the court to set aside the consent
judgement the Attorney-General issued a writ and filed for a
stay of execution of the judgement of the court, the court
granted it on the terms that the State paid GH¢17 million
which was already due under the terms of settlement. Woyome
was to provide an undertaking that he would refund the ¢17
million with interest if the Attorney-General became
successful.
J. For good measure the total amount thus far paid to Woyome
is GH¢58 million (¢580 billion)
PERTINENT ISSUES ARISING
The pertinent questions and issues arising include:
1. In respect of the construction of two stadia and
refurbishment of three stadia, Alfred Woyome never entered
into any contract with GoG.
2. A letter of introduction dated May 4, 2005 signed by Hon.
Agyeman Manu, then Deputy Ministry of Finance issued to
Alfred Woyome and Vamed Engineering could not be construed
as a contract document. In any event that letter being
bandied about contained a clear disclaimer
3. In respect of the reliefs sought by Woyome he claims to
have “rendered services” to GOG. No such services were
rendered by Woyome. Alfred Woyome cannot sue for any claim
in his personal capacity when the Ministry of Sports dealt
with only Limited Liability Companies.
4. Alfred Agbesi Woyome sued for services rendered from
2001. The NPP government had in 2001 not bid for the hosting
of CAN 2008. Betty Mould-Iddrisu ought to have known that
the claim was fictitious.
5. What informed Betty Mould-Iddrisu’s award of 2% of the
contract sum to Alfred Woyome on non-existent projects
spanning 2001 to 2006?
6. In the light of the court’s order to stay execution in
the second and third tranches why did the Minister of
Finance pay the second and third tranches totalling GH¢34
million?
7. The President Mills is the Chief Executive of this
country. What does he know about this matter and has he read
the judgement of the court dated 9th July, 2010.
8. The President appoints Ministers to help him in “the
efficient running of the State”. Clearly, doling out GH¢51
million of the nation’s hard-earned money to people who have
not toiled cannot be part of running the state efficiently.
9. Since the former Attorney-General has admitted to the
mistake in respect of the non-defence in this matter can the
people of Ghana trust the judgement debts paid by the NDC
since 2009 have been above board, without negligence or any
form of improprieties?
10. It is instructive to state that when the tender for the
stadia were evaluated in POWAK/VAMED ENG won two out of five
lots. How did it turn out that the statement of claim covers
works allegedly done in respect of the five stadia.
11. Notwithstanding ‘9’ above, the recommendation of the
Tender Evaluation Committee was unambiguous: that successful
bidders should obtain their own funding in August 2005 to
commence construction. VAMED could not arrange the promised
funding. They could not even arrange the bridge financing
from Barclays Bank pending the securing of the total cost of
renovating Baba Yara and Ohene Djan stadia.
12. It was following from this inability to arrange funding
that the then Hon. Minister for Finance, Hon. Yaw Osafo
Maafo wrote to discontinue the engagement of Messrs VAMED on
22nd August, 2005.
REQUEST FOR RESIGNATION, INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION
Ladies and Gentlemen, this sequence of events should
convince all well-meaning Ghanaians that Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrisu
as Attorney General was negligent, reckless and
unprofessional in the conduct of this case in court. She
contributed substantially to the loss of over ¢411 billion
to the State with an outstanding amount of over GH¢10,000,000
yet to be paid as per Hon. Betty Mould-Iddrisu’s terms.
The least the citizens of Ghana can ask from Prof. Mills as
President is to relieve her of her appointment as the Hon.
Minister of Education while a truly independent enquiry into
the circumstances leading to the single largest loss to the
State since independence.
With regard to Alfred Agbesi Woyome who has become spokesman
and known financier of the NDC and major contributor to all
sorts of events and causes like sponsorship to the World Cup
2010, Get Atta Mills Elected (GAME) campaign and NDC Heroes
Fund, we now know the source of his wealth and bravado. We
demand investigations into this manifestly fraudulent
conduct in this stadia saga and possible prosecution for
defrauding the Republic of Ghana through misrepresentation
and the dubious claims made in obtaining judgement in
default of defence.
Upon his return from leave the President has asked for a
report of some sort. This perhaps is the most unfortunate
statement made in the whole matter. The President is
informed when colossal sums are being paid by the State. The
report the President is asking for is clearly a smokescreen
seeking to buy time and once again protect one of his own.
For instance, in Sipa Yankey’s case after the Mabey and
Johnson (M & J) bribery scandal he removed him as Minister
of Health and rewarded him with arguably a larger portfolio
at least in terms of money managing the 3 billion dollars
Chinese loan. The president in sacking some DCEs promised to
probe them. The nation has not heard anything since then.
In Betty Mould-Iddrisu’s case the President is seeking to
cover up with a report. The President, in our view, given
the sequence of events, is aware and part of the grand
scheme of corruption by either omission or commission.
Behind the facade of a seemingly gentle gait of the
President is rot of gargantuan corruption and arrogance.
We therefore demand that instead of the self-serving report
the President has asked for, an independent public inquiry
aired on all national TV networks and radio stations for all
and sundry to actively participate in must be instituted. It
is only this that will cleanse the soul of the nation and
appease its spirit in these troubled times.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as you all have heard there are more
questions than answers. Thank you.
NPP Minority
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