Judgement debt saga: No witness for Woyome

A Chief State Attorney, Mathew Amponsah in the criminal case of Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the alleged National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier, on Monday informed an Accra Fast Track Court Financial Division that their next witness for the trial has travelled.

Mr. Amponsah subsequently asked the court, presided over by Justice John Ajet-Nasam, to adjourn that matter beyond May 29, during which time the witness may have arrived and they would have had conference with the person.

The state attorney informed the court that they have two more witnesses to mount the witness box before they end their case.

The prosecution was expected to continue with the trial but due to the situation, the matter was adjourned to June 3.

Mr. Woyome is standing trial for allegedly receiving a fraudulent GH¢51.28 million judgement debt.

So far the prosecution has called seven witnesses including the former Managing Director of Waterville.

At the last adjourned date, Maria Andrea Orlandi, the former MD, concluded his testimony after he was cross-examined by Osafo Buabeng, counsel for Woyome.

Andrea Orlandi answered questions concerning funding for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008 and the role Mr. Woyome played.

He stated that in November 2009, Waterville’s lawyer Kwame Tetteh wrote a letter to the then Attorney-General Betty Mould-Iddrisu to clarify the position of Waterville in respect of work done in that project.

According to the witness, the letter was in response to a letter dated August 2009 in which the AG asked both Woyome and Waterville to present claims for financial engineering and work done respectively.

Mr. Orlandi added that after the letter, the AG held a meeting in February, 2010 where both Waterville and Woyome presented their claims.

At the end of the meeting, the AG said she had understood the difference of the two claims.

Mr. Orlandi confirmed that he received three letters of support from Bank Austria in respect of the funding for the construction of hospitals, stadia for CAN 2008 and Cobalt 60 plant project.

Mr. Orlandi, who disclosed that the letters were given to him by Woyome, agreed with Mr. Osarfo-Buabeng that he travelled to Austria on two occasions with Woyome.

At Bank Austria, he said he and Woyome had discussion with one Mrs. Rand concerning certain issues about their project.

At that time he stated that he was not aware that funding for the building of the stadia had been secured, and that Woyome told him money had been secured and backed it with documents.

When asked by the counsel whether Mr. Woyome was working with Bank Austria before Vamed assigned rights to Waterville to construct the stadia, Mr. Orlandi replied that he was briefed on that.