General News of Wednesday, 6 June 2012

Source: peacefmonline

State Has Wasted Woyome's 'Business Time'

Embattled businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, who thought he had been discharged and was therefore a free man after the Attorney-General’s Department filed a nolle prosequi on Tuesday, has expressed disappointment at the decision by the state to re-arrest him.

The self-confessed NDC financier was in a happy mood after the state said it was no longer interested in pursuing the case against him.

However, his freedom was short lived when he was re-arrested and slapped with fresh charges of defrauding by false pretence and causing financial loss to the State to the tune of GHc51.2m.

Mr Woyome was re-arraigned before the court, following his re-arrest after being discharged.

Whilst Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, who was facing two counts of conspiracy and corruption of a public officer, his wife, Gifty Nerquaye-Tetteh and Director of Legal Services of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Paul Asimenu - each of the three was facing one count of abetment of crime - were allowed to walk free, Alfred Woyome was rearrested immediately and fresh charges proffered against him.

But Woyome is unhappy at the turn of events and feels slighted.

His Special Aide, Kwame Tawiah, argues that the rights of his boss have been trampled upon and his precious time wasted.

Speaking to the issue in an interview on Citi Eye Witness News, Mr. Tawiah said the state should have investigated the matter thoroughly before trumping up irrelevant charges and going ahead with proceedings and ‘wasting the business time’ of Mr. Woyome.

According to him, Mr. Woyome has been denigrated and disgraced as an individual.

“His whole business time has been wasted and then fresh charges have been leveled against him and it seems like we are just running around. They should have done proper investigations before starting the proceedings. Do we think about the human rights aspect of Woyome?…he feels very disappointed because it has been a waste of his time. How can you waste his time like this? Now we are back at square one to start a new case? Where are the Human Rights lawyers?” he asked.