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General News of Wednesday, 15 February 2012

Source: Al-Hajj

Elizabeth Sackey On Woyome Chop Chop List

After Osafo Marfo, O.B. Amoah, Sir John, Mpiani…

Affable but reserved New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for the Okaikoi North Constituency in the Greater Accra region, Madam Elizabeth Tawiah Sackey will soon have gargantuan explanations to give the security apparatus in connection with the on-going Woyomegate saga.

Information picked up by The Al-Hajj indicates that Madam Elizabeth Sackey is alleged to have been a recipient of part of businessman and ex-diplomat Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome’s GHS51 million judgment debt, which the state says he fraudulently procured and he is at present being prosecuted in court together with three others.

Madam Sackey, in whose constituency (Tesano), Mr. Alfred Woyome resides before his relocation late last year, according to information reaching us; had her electoral campaigns financed by Mr. Woyome’s largesse, the most recent being the May 2011 parliamentary primaries of the New Patriotic Party in which she lost to one Patrick Yaw Boamah who secured 350 votes as against Madam Sackey’s 212.

The Al-Hajj is still snooping available raw data on Hon Sackey’s escapade with Mr. Alfred Woyome in as far as the GHS51 million judgment debt matters.

Another NPP Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, Hon. Osei Bonsu (O.B.) Amoah, who was also a deputy Education and Sports Minister at the time of the award of the controversial contracts for the construction of stadia in Kumasi, Accra and Elwak, has been cited to be a beneficiary of a whopping GH¢290,000 from the GH¢51 million judgment debt awarded to beleaguered businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

O.B. Amoah as he is affectionately called, after numerous weeks of denial and deception finally confessed to have financially benefited from the now embattled businessman Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome in his campaign to run for parliamentary seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Mr. Woyome is also alleged to have sponsored the failed presidential bid of the former Minister of Education and Sports Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo (under whose tenure Woyome partners allegedly secured the stadia contracts) in the NPP flagbearership contest for the 2008 elections.

Mr. Osafo Marfo it is said, described Mr. Woyome as his Godfather, philanthropic extraordinaire and that if he had not met Woyome he did not know how his life would have been, at the launch of his presidential campaign in his hometown Akyem Awisa in Eastern Region.

The Al-Hajj is still conducting investigations on how much money the former minister was said to have pocketed from Alfred Woyome after sponsoring his failed presidential bid and will keep our readers posted. The General Secretary of NPP, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyei a.k.a. Sir John has also admitted that Woyome has bought him brand new Toyota Rav 4 vehicle but said it was as a result of legal services he provided the now embattled businessman. The Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea has also confessed that Mr. Woyome has made financial contributions to the NPP through the then Chief of Staff Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani. The financial contribution, believed to be in the region of US$500,000 was said to have been handed over to the Managing Director of Prudential, Mr. Abankwa. The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) early last month indicted past and present government officials for negligence and abetment that subsequently led to the payment of the controversial Ghc51 million judgment debt to Alfred Woyome. The head of EOCO, Mr. Mortey Akpadzi, told the media later that “we have realised quite some elements of non-performance on the part of officials who should have done what they have to do. But for the intervention of the President it would have been worse. The actions by past officials were further aggravated by current officials,” he added.

President Mills later directed the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to act on the report and make it public.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor subsequently ordered the arrest of Mr. Woyome who was charged with conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretense and corrupting public officials.

Three others; Paul Asimenu, a Director at the Legal Department of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh and his wife Gifty Nerquaye-Tetteh are also before the court and have been charged with aiding and abetment of crime.

All four accused persons have since been given bail to re-appear at a later date.