The State’s Savagery Against Alfred Woyome

- Nurudeen Wahab

After covering themselves in shame and public condemnation when they invaded the offices of the Ghana Football Association, it appears the leadership of the EOCO has not learnt their lesson. The EOCO continues to commit elementary mistakes and perpetuate a regime of terror quite unbecoming of such an important institution of State. On some occasions, they have combined with other organs within the National Security apparatus to deprive persons of their basic human rights.

Another vivid instance of the EOCO’s savagery is the unfolding situation involving Ghanaian businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome. After enjoying the greatest cooperation from Mr. Woyome in its desire to unravel the circumstances leading to the payment of 51.2 million Ghana cedis, as directed by His Excellency President J.E.A. Mills, the EOCO, actively assisted by some Agents of the State, shockingly produced what it called an Interim Report that sought to indict Mr. Woyome and also to impeach the determination of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Even more strange is a recent Daily Graphic publication captioned “EOCO suspends probe into Woyome case” on page 3 of its 21st March, 2012 edition. This report sought to convey the impression that the suspension of EOCO’s investigation into the matter was a very recent occurrence. But for those who have followed the developments in this long-winding saga, it is common knowledge that the EOCO suspended investigations into the circumstances surrounding the payment of GHS 51.2million judgment debt to Alfred Woyome several weeks ago. I must acknowledge the fact that the body of the Daily Graphic report was in reference to the suit brought against the EOCO by Mr. Yaw Osafo Marfo; but the title of the story gave the impression that this was some reference to the suit between Alfred Woyome and the EOCO, in which a court had already ruled that since the investigation had already been carried out, he did not see the essence in ruling on the injunction on [EOCO] sought by Mr. Woyome. Legal experts, commenting on the said case, did indicate, though, that Mr. Woyome could bring contempt charges against the EOCO, if he so desired.

It is ESSENTIAL AND CRITICAL that Ghanaians are properly apprised of EOCO’s downright illegal conduct in the prosecution and persecution of Alfred Agbesi Woyome. In this piece, I shall also point to the evil machinations of certain persons whose sole agenda is to destroy Alfred Woyome.

Here is a body [EOCO] with whom Mr. Woyome had willingly cooperated in providing it with volumes of information in his bid to help the EOCO to do the President’s bidding to ascertain the circumstances leading to the award and payment of judgment debts under the Mills administration. Having willingly provided information to EOCO, the EOCO then turned itself into a quasi-judicial body as evidenced in its BOGUS AND LARGELY CONTRIVED SO-CALLED INTERIM REPORT in which the EOCO passed judgment on a Judgment arrived at by a court of competent jurisdiction! What a sick joke! It has been alleged that parts of that damnable EOCO Report which has made the investigative body the subject of well-deserved ridicule and scorn, were authored jointly by EOCO and persons who hold no official position with the EOCO and who were just bent on one agenda – to destroy the man Alfred Agbesi Woyome. Obviously, the various commentaries on the EOCO Report, which have clearly shown up its clear bias and unprofessional stance, have exposed the agenda of these puppets.

From my analysis of all the events surrounding the “arrest” of Mr. Woyome and the subsequent strenuous efforts by the powers-that-be to vilify him, one thing becomes apparent: That the whole EOCO “investigation” and its Interim Report was a politically motivated agenda to denigrate and demonize Alfred Woyome. It is believed that the persons behind this agenda did not anticipate that this whole affair would last for this long. In their haste to destroy Alfred Woyome, they did not anticipate that His God, his indomitable fighting spirit, coupled with the unflinching support of persons driven by the cause of freedom, of right, of truth and of justice, would survive the torrent of lies, deceit, malice and devious machination that was unleashed upon a man whose only crime was that he WANTED TO HELP HIS NATION! YES, FOR HIS PATRIOTIC DRIVE TO ENRICH OUR MOTHERLAND, GHANA, WITH FACILITIES TO BE PROVIDED WITH THE APPROXIMATELY 1.2 BILLION EUROS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO PROCURE FOR THE NATION, ALFRED WOYOME TODAY STANDS ACCUSED OF A CRIME THAT HE DID NOT COMMIT!

For emphasis, that 1.2 billion Euros procured by Mr. Alfred Woyome would have given Ghana the following facilities:

• Ten [10] modern new regional stadia and refurbished old ones: • A Cobalt 60 and Tissue culture plant • 5 Regional Hospitals and an 800-bed National Accident & Emergency Center & Laboratory Complex [to have been sited at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region] • A modern spa

From my investigations and observations, it appears the general public has not been fully apprised of the selflessness and magnanimity shown by Mr. Alfred Woyome in the negotiations held between himself and the Government of Ghana concerning this Judgment Debt. It will surprise Ghanaians to know that the total amount of money originally due Mr. Woyome, after the determination of the court case he prosecuted against the Government of Ghana, was a little over 105 million Ghana cedis! It was following that determination that the Government of Ghana asked for the opportunity to negotiate for some reduction of this figure. Mr. Woyome agreed to this request out of his love for Mother Ghana and out of his high regard and amply expressed support for His Excellency President John Evans Atta Mills, whose rise to power he, Mr. Woyome had massively supported! I learnt that the final payment of approximately 51.2 billion Ghana cedis was just a little more than the actual costs incurred in procuring the funds for the designated projects. And for this act of PURE LOVE FOR THE LAND OF HIS BIRTH, MR. ALFRED WOYOME IS TODAY BEING PAINTED AS A CRIMINAL?

As more ASTOUNDING FACTS RELATING TO THE WORK MR. WOYOME DID FOR MOTHER GHANA become known to the citizens of Ghana, it becomes increasingly clear that the agenda to give him a bad name and hang him has failed miserably. Indeed, the truth is becoming known.

Let us ask a few pertinent questions: Did the EOCO’s so-called investigation include the illegal procuring of Mr. Woyome’s Bank Transaction Records by one Justice Tsah who works with the EOCO? Did it include the shameful circulation of copies of cheques and documents covering financial transactions carried out on Mr. Woyome’s accounts? And on the basis of this illegal conduct, the EOCO, without just cause, and without appropriate sanction, froze Mr. Woyome’s bank accounts and accounts of entities which were totally unrelated to the matter that was supposedly under investigation.

Whilst the case lodged by Mr. Woyome against the EOCO, and also that lodged by Mr. Osafo Marfo, were pending, EOCO persisted with their bogus “investigation” and came out with their shameful report that sought to paint Mr. Woyome in bad light and vilify him. Their evil machinations, supported by a programmed Media machine, raised public anger against Mr. Woyome.

As things stand now, Mr. Woyome’s bank accounts remain frozen: The accounts of companies and entities totally unrelated to this Judgment Debt payment remain frozen. Indeed, they have been frozen since December last year [a total of four months to date] and legal procedures provided for in the event that an entity’s bank accounts and financial assets have been frozen have been blatantly flouted by the EOCO and the State! So, if EOCO claims it has suspended its investigations into the circumstances leading to the payment of the Judgment Debt to him, should Mr. Woyome’s Bank Accounts and Financial Assets remain frozen ad infinitum????

Ghanaians need to know and understand that the RULE OF LAW IS UNDER SIEGE BY THIS SAVAGE AND ILLEGAL CONDUCT OF THE EOCO AND THE STATE AND THIS MUST BE RESISTED BY EVERY WELL-MEANING GHANAIAN!

By: Nurudeen Wahab [email protected]