Woyome fights friends and family

Self-acclaimed financial engineer and financier of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alfred Agbesi Woyome is strenuously fighting to save his image from further damage.

This was after his name popped up at the hearing of the Commission of Inquiry tasked to investigate the payment of ‘judgment debts’ to individuals and corporate institutions.

Last week Tuesday, two of the companies involved in the reconstruction of some stadia for the CAN 2008 soccer tournament, Messrs Michelleti and Consar, denied ever dealing with Mr Woyome as a representative of Waterville Holdings Limited, the company he claimed to be a representative of, in Ghana.

Managing Directors of the two companies, who were sub-contracted by Waterville, in the persons of Stefano Ramella Pezza of Consar and Jimmy Castgna, respectively told the Commission they never dealt with Mr. Woyome in any official capacity, as he had claimed.

This was what compelled the beleaguered ‘financial engineer,’ as he calls himself, to write to the Commissioner in protest, saying, “I have never stated at any forum that I am an official of Waterville, and I do not believe that it is Consar and Micheletti who should attest to this issue.”

Instead, Mr. Woyome said “it was I who invited Consar and Micheletti to be part of the CAN 2008 Project.

“In as much as I cannot suggest to the Commission how they should go about their job, I believe that my rights have been trampled upon by the public comments of your official, Mr. Dometi Kofi-Sokpor, which I am tempted to describe as being sub judice,” Mr Woyome said in reference to comments by spokesman to the Commission to the effect that the two companies had denied knowing him. As stated in a letter dated April 2, 2013, Mr Woyome said, “I shall definitely appear before your Commission upon the determination of the aforementioned cases which are before courts of competent jurisdiction,” promising that “I shall help, with my fullest cooperation, your work in unraveling the root cause[s] of this whole issue for you to be able to give our dear nation a formula for prevention of any future occurrence.”

Baako’s worry

Meanwhile, editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baak, has stressed the need for the Commission of Inquiry to be careful in handling the case involving the trio of Mr. Woyome, Waterville and Michelleti. Speaking on Joy FM’s news analysis programme over the weekend, the tough-talking editor cautioned the Sole Commissioner, Justice Yaw Appau, to be alert in dealing with the issue involving the three, wondering why Michelleti, Consar and Waterville would suddenly turn their backs on Mr Woyome. He said he believed there was a strong connection between Michelleti, Waterville and Woyome.

Mr Baako quoted a letter written and signed by Mr Woyome on August 18, 2009 in which he (Mr. Woyome) protested against the abrogation of the Waterville contract by the Kufuor administration and further claimed it was through his efforts and that of Waterville that the Michelleti company was formed.

Mr. Baako however said he was willing to assist the Commission with vital documents if it was constrained in accessing information relating to the scandal.