The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it has uncovered names of National Democratic Congress (NDC) gurus who allegedly benefited from the GH¢51.2 million dubiously paid to the embattled business man, Alfred Agbesi Woyome.
The GH¢51.2 million was fraudulently paid to the NDC man in 2010 by the government on the instructions of then Attorney General, Betty Mould Iddrisu and her deputy, Ebo Barton-Odro.
Addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, Nana Akomea, Communications Director of NPP, released documents and cheques indicating the said payments made to the NDC officials.
Some of the beneficiaries, he mentioned, are the late Professor Kofi Awoonor, who was Chairman of the Council of State.
He was said to have received a cheque for GH¢75,000; Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, GH¢20,000; Ade Coker, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, GH¢30,000 and Koku Anyidoho, a deputy general secretary of the NDC, GH¢113,000.
“On 8th February, 2011, the NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman, in a receipt penned in his own handwriting, Mr Ade Coker was given GH¢30,000 by Woyome. The handwritten receipt reads: “Received from Consul Afred Woyome an amount of GH¢30,000.00,” Signed Ade Coker 8/2/11. Aseidu Nketia, is also listed as a beneficiary of the Woyome cash. For example, on 2nd September, 2011, he personally received GH¢20,000 from Mr Woyome. It was a cash cheque with serial number 727292,” Nana Akomea stated.
The rest are Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of Insight newspaper, GH¢2,000; Steve Kpodzi, former Managing Director of ADB GH¢60,000; Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini of Radio Gold, GH¢8,000 and Jewel Ackah, a musician, GH¢60,000.
Some of the samples of the alleged Alfred Woyome receipts and cheques intercepted by the NPP
According to Nana Akomea, Woyome also gave GH¢15,000 to the NDC Office in Hohoe; GH¢42,000 to the party for the purchase of motorbikes; GH¢30,000 to renovate NDC party office and another GH¢1 million to the same party.
“On 15th February, 2011, a One-Million Ghana cedi cheque was paid into the Unibank Ghana Ltd account of the NDC. We have a copy of the exact ADB cheque, which carries the No. 230051. Woyome’s bank statement shows that that cheque was cleared the very next day.
On May Day, May 1, 2011, “Koku Anyidohu received from Woyome personally a cash cheque of GH¢13,000, with No. 809093. A few days after, on 10th May, 2011, Woyome again gave Koku Anyidoho an amount of GH¢100,000 and the purpose is stated as “Koku Trip With President (Mills).
“There is also payment of GH¢60,000 from Woyome to Steve Kpordzie, who was at the time the Managing Director of ADB. This raises serious questions over propriety. What did the Bank Manager do to deserve a cash payment of that colossal amount?
In fact, the Speaker of Parliament, Doe Adjaho, is also listed as receiving GH¢10,000 from Woyome, from cheque No. 727745,” the NPP Communications Director stated.
He said Woyome made the payments to the people and the NDC in 2011.
Nana Akomea said the NDC bankroller was meticulous in keeping records of the payments that he made to some members of the party from the GH¢51.2 million illegally paid to him.
He said payments made to the NDC gurus buttresses the statement one Supreme Court Judge, Justice Jones Dotse, who was sitting in the civil case against Woyome, made that the payments could only be understood as a “grand scheme to create, loot and share” taxpayers’ monies.
Nana Akomea said there were other people in the NDC who have also benefited but could not disclose their names because the party (NPP) does not have concrete evidence yet.
“There are more names but because we don’t have the direct evidence I could not come out with them. Those names mentioned are the ones we have concrete evidence for,” Akomea indicated.
He said President Mahama has clearly shown that he and his NDC government cannot fight corruption, saying, “The corruption in NDC is systemic. The public purse cannot be safe with President Mahama and the NDC.”
He urged Ghanaians to go out on Wednesday and vote massively against President Mahama and his corrupt NDC government to ensure a win for Nana Addo and the NPP.
Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Martin Amidu had argued that with the NDC in power, it will be difficult to retrieve the Woyome cash, especially since the party and senior members are direct beneficiaries of the scam.
Part of the money was used in paying salaries of NDC activists, particularly in the Volta region.
Oral Examination
The Supreme Court had granted former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Martin Amidu’s request to orally examine Woyome on how the gargantuan money paid to him was spent.
However, the same Supreme Court last Thursday granted an application filed by the NDC businessman to temporarily stop the much anticipated oral examination by Martin Amidu.
The court, presided over by Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, said the application was granted in the substantial interest of justice.
By Cephas Larbi
cephrok@yahoo.com
