'I Was Paid Before Contract Termination' - Woyome

Alfred Agbesi Woyome, a businessman, on Tuesday told the Fast Track High Court that Waterville Holdings paid monies owed to M-power pack, which he is the director, for services rendered before government terminated the contract. When asked whether, he knew government terminated the contract with Waterville on August 18, 2006, the accused person said he was aware but had nothing to do with it. Mr Woyome was being cross-examined by Mrs Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa, Chief State Attorney in Accra on Tuesday. The prosecution told the court that government never had a contract with the accused person nor his company but Mr Woyome disagreed and said a correspondence between the Ministries of Justice and Attorney General and Finance indicated that there was an agreement between him and government. He said it was upon a letter from the Ministry of Finance, written by the former Deputy Minister, Mr Agyemang Manu, that the Attorney General (A-G) gave her opinion for the money to be paid to him. Mrs Obuobisa put it to the accused person that the letter, he was referring to was as a result of a misleading statement, he made to the A-G that led to the payments. Mr Woyome in response told the court that, the assertion from the prosecution was wrong and that there was nowhere in his claims that he has written to the A-G and also nobody has shown up to say he provided a misleading statement. When asked, if he knew that the expression of interest for the CAN 2008, as advertised in the Daily Graphic did not have hospitals, he said yes but the financing condition aspect of it was accepted by government and was included. He told the court that VAMED Company pulled out of the project and was replaced by Waterville for the technical aspect. Mr Woyome is standing trial for defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the state. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is on a GH₵ 20 million bail. The court, presided over by Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, adjourned the case to Oct 29.