Woyome Ȼ51m judgement debt state-sponsored crime – PPP - See more at: http://www.myjoyonline.com/politics/2015/March-16th/woyome-51m-judgement-debt-state-sponsored-crime-ppp.

Woyome Ȼ51m judgement debt state-sponsored crime – PPP Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Naa Sakwaba Akwa | faustine.akwa@myjoyonline.com Date: 16-03-2015 Time: 03:03:32:pm Member of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Charles Owusu has described circumstances under which some Ȼ51 million was paid to businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome as a “state-sponsored crime”. He was of the view that it would be impossible for any individual to steal money from the State if they did not receive any support from the government in power. Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show ‘Dwaso Nsem’, the PPP member said the entire National Democratic Congress (NDC) should be blamed for causing the State's loss of such a huge sum of money. His comments come after a High Court last week set Mr Woyome free on two counts of causing financial loss to the State and defrauding by false pretence. The court freed the businessman on the grounds that state prosecutors were unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he had committed a crime. Many have expressed disgust at the ruling and questioned why former Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu and her deputy Ebo Barton-Oduro were not called to testify in court. However Charles Owusu said Mr. Woyome should not be overly criticised because he did not spend the money alone and that his acquittal and discharge is indicative of the role the NDC played in awarding such a dubious judgement debt. He indicated that the state’s failure to fully pursue the issue and retrieve the money from Mr Woyome pinpoints the role of the government and its officials. He believes that the NDC will definitely be booted out in 2016 due to the disgrace of the looting of national coffers by its own members. Government officials who were involved in the case should be arrested and prosecuted, he added. Charles Owusu also called for the separation of the Ministry of Justice from the Attorney General’s Department. This, he believes, will give the Attorney General a clear hand to deal with issues of such nature.