Woyome’s Counsel: “we shall prove his innocence in Court”

The credibility of Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa is fast droning away as he abandons his ministerial duty to pursue a chartered mission of his invisible masters, who are hell burnt on demonising business man and NDC financier, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, upon the continues battle by government on a GHS51 judgment debt paid him by an order of the court.

Ever since the payment of the judgment debt to Mr. Woyome became an issue of public discourse, the young Deputy Minister for Information whose only contribution to the NDC has been his turn-coat confrontations with the then corrupt NPP government on Radio gold soon before the NDC rescued power to form government in 2009, has been speaking with double tongue. In his latest crusade against Mr. Alfred Woyome, whom he run to beg for support prior to his successful campaign to unseat Hon. Hodogbe in the North Tongu constituency of the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa arrogated to himself, judicial powers which is clearly beyond him by pronouncing judgment in the case which is already before a competent court of jurisdiction, claiming that the recipient of the GHS51 Million has defrauded the state. In one of Mr. Ablakwa Okudzeto’s reckless comments on an Accra-based Radio station, Peace FM yesterday, Ablakwa made statements which are not only prejudicial in nature but also defamatory. In the said interview, among other things, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa made a categorical statement that the state has been defrauded and that the state will take various actions to retrieve the monies paid to Alfred Agbesi Woyome. An independent lawyer who spoke to the Republic after Sam Okudzeto’s unguarded statement wondered if the Deputy Minister had forgotten that the matter is currently in court and that the state is even yet to commence its prosecution of the case. “ If the Deputy Minister for Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, publicly states that, initially, the Government of Ghana [NDC Government in Power] did not have any documents on the Woyome case, how then, and on what basis, did the BNI and later, the Police, arrest Mr. Alfred Woyome?, the lawyer who pleaded anonymity, wondered. With his reckless statement, one wonders if Okudzeto Ablakwa was speaking for the Government of the Republic of Ghana on a matter that is in court, alongside making prejudicial statements and whether or not his comments do not amount to government’s interference with the already controversial case. Ablakwa was on record to have sacked one of his colleagues from the government’s communication group allegedly for daring to defend the payment to Mr. Woyome. He has also un-provoked spewed ethnic tantrums at some Voltarians who have protested the arrest and persecution of Mr. Woyome amidst name callings. Legally minded persons who have followed Okudzeto Ablakwa’s comments on the matter fear that he is treading on dangerous grounds and might soon be cited for contempt of the court. Okudzeto’s behaviour is understandable: he has no roots in the NDC and must therefore dance to the tunes of some tin-gods within the NDC to survive in the party. Meanwhile a member of the legal counsel for embattled businessman Alfred Woyome is optimistic that they will be victorious in court over the charges levelled against their client, despite the extensive public discussion of the issue.

The chief legal counsel, Rockson Nelson Dafiamekpor, in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, indicated that “speaking not as a lawyer, it would be difficult but speaking as a lawyer, yes because the law courts are not persuaded by discussions in the public domain, they are faced with evidence given on oath and documentary evidence and then how you prosecute your case in court.”

He added: “So if our defence is able to persuade the court, the court will fine for us because we will conduct our case based on the evidence available and that is what the court is going to look at.

“I believe that at the end of these matters my client would prevail because the evidence available clearly suggests that he never acted fraudulently.”

Mr. Woyome also touted as the financier of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been charged with defrauding the state by false pretence, conspiracy to commit crime, corrupting public officials and defrauding the state with three other accomplices.

This was after he was paid a judgment debt of GH¢ 51 million, which has generated several arguments within public circles.

Counsel Dafiamekpor, who is leading three other lawyers handling the case, also indicated the spill over effects of the case has adversely affected family members of Mr. Woyome with some of his children having to drop out of school because of the issue.