The former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu has resolved to submit voluntary statement to the Ghana Police to aid in the on-going investigation in the Alfred Woyome Saga.

Mrs. Mould-Iddrisu has come under intense pressure to categorically state her involvement in the payment of the GHC51 million judgment debt to NDC financier Alfred Woyome.

Below is her statement

REQUEST TO SUBMIT VOLUNTARY STATEMENT TO THE GHANA POLICE SERVICE
We act as solicitors for Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu a former Attorney General of the Republic of Ghana.

Our client’s attention has been drawn to recent developments in the above-mentioned suit currently pending at the High Court (Commercial Division) as well as the interim report of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) and the subsequent arrest of the defendant in the suit.

These matters are currently in the public domain. Our client has been referred to, vilified and pilloried in current media and public discussions.

We are instructed to refer to these matters above and to react to them as follows:

1. At all material times our client acted properly both administratively and professionally.

2. That our client at all material times exercised that due diligence required of a public office holder and more especially in the esteemed position of Attorney General.

3. That the action to challenge the capacity of the defendant in this case to his claim was initiated by our client as the then Attorney General after further information had been made available to her office.

4. The action referred to above as to whether Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome is entitled to his claim is currently pending before the High Court (Commercial Division) as suit no. OCC/42/10.

5. In the circumstances, our client is of the view that the issue as to whether Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome is entitled to his claim or not is sub judice.

6. Payment made during the tenure of our client as Attorney General to Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in this matter were pursuant to the orders of the High Court.

7. That the subsequent critical payments in issue herein were not authorised by our client and in any case the payments were made after she exited the office of Attorney General.

Without prejudice to the above, our client is however ready and willing to submit a voluntary statement to the police and assist them in their investigations.

Kindly indicate a convenient time and date for our client to call in to submit her voluntary statement to your office.

Signed

Solicitors for Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu
Dadzie and Associates

Source: citifmonline.com

Ghana’s team has arrived in Bata on Monday for the semi-final match of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations against Zambia.

The Black Stars will play the Zambians at the Estadio de Bata on Wednesday in one of the two semi-final matches.

Ghana touched down at the Bata International Airport at 4:45 pm local time (15:45 GMT) before being driven to their hotel.

Source: ghanafa.org

The embattled businessman at the centre of the controversial judgment debt Alfred Agbesi Woyome has been charged for defrauding the state with three other accomplices.

The beleaguered businessman has been refused bail for conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretense and corrupting public officials in the controversial GH¢58 million judgment debt.

The others are Chief State Attorney of Ghana, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh and his wife alongside the legal director at the Ministry of Finance, Paul Asimenu.

Two charges – aiding and abetment of crime – were preferred against Nerquaye-Tetteh and the former for his wife whiles Mr. Asimenu was charged with abetment of crime in an Accra High Court on Monday.

Mrs. Nerquaye-Tetteh was granted bail in the sum of GhC 500,000 because she is a lactating mother but will have to report to the police every Monday and Friday.

The case has been adjourned to February 13, 2012.

According to Citi News’ court correspondent, Richard Mensah, scores of Woyome sympathisers and a large gathering of pressmen were at the court to have first-hand information on the case.

The police arrested the quartet following staggering revelations in the interim report of the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) over the infamous GhC51 million judgment debt awarded to Mr. Woyome.

The report established that there were clear cases of complicity between current and past government officials prior to the issuance of the judgment debt – described as one of the biggest scandals to have hit the country.

Woyome is alleged to have transferred about GhC 400,000 from his bank account to Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh’s wife right after the judgment debt was paid, but the report failed to mention reasons behind the payment. Mr. Asimenu has been cited as the key person whose advice led to the payment of the money whiles the chief state attorney failed to defend the case in court.

Source: Citifmonline. com

The World Bank said it is not worried yet that government has still not utilized over US$1. 5 million it approved for infrastructural development.

There are accumulated funds the World Bank has approved since the year 2000 but have still not been fully utilized.

The funds have been earmarked for infrastructural projects in the country such as roads, schools among others.

A World Bank delegation that visited Ghana said it is hopeful the monies will be used for its intended purposes.

The bank intimated that it is allowing government to have its own workable system of disbursing these funds without the interference of the bank.

The World Bank’s country director in Germany, Ingrid Hoven said: “With every disbursements in general, one has to look at the details; we look at the indicators, in terms of administrative work, either on our side or on the side of government if it is burdensome to utilize the funds more quickly. ”

Hoven, who was speaking to the press after a World Bank delegation had visited Ghana, admitted that the reasons for the delay were unknown to the World Bank.

The delegation also said so far it is happy with the results of the support it has given to Ghana.

Source: Citifmonline. com

Nana Agyenim-Boateng aka Gyataba, the National Chairman of the United Front Party (UFP) has debunked claims that UFP is being financed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as well as some political heavyweights.

The UFP chairman who described the claims as wicked lies and a sign of desperation by the NPP for power in 2012, explained that he was not surprised by the recent publications in one of the dailies that UFP is being financed by the ruling NDC Government .

“I wish to state emphatically that no amount of intimidation, harassment and dirty propaganda against the UFP will succeed.

“We in the United Front Party are determined more than ever to break NPP dominance in the Ashanti Region and this type of propaganda against our efforts can not detract us from our forward match to win the elections”, he stressed.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Dispatch in Kumasi, Nana Boateng observed that since the formation of the UFP, some elements in the NPP have linked the ‘party to personalities like Mr. Alan Kyerematen, ex-President Kufuor, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng both leading members of the NPP among other renowned personalities in the country.

The UFP chairman said since earlier propaganda to link such personalities didn’t work, they have now turned their attention to associate UFP to NDC but “let me assure them that no amount to paint UFP black would fly because the sky is our limit. ”

On the NHIS Capitation, the national chairman of UFP said the policy was very good but stressed that NHIA step up their education to help create better understanding.

Source: The Daily Dispatch

The President of Ghana, J. E. A Mills, has directed ministers he reshuffled recently to assume office at their newly assigned ministry on Wednesday February 8, 2012.

In a communication to the Speaker read to the House Friday, the President formally informed Parliament about the reshuffling of some Ministers of State.

The House during the week discussed the need for the President to formally inform Parliament whenever there is a reshuffle even though the President is not bound to do so.

MPs who contributed to that debate argued that even though the President was constitutionally not required to inform Parliament, for
the sake of good practices, it would be proper for him to communicate to the House in such circumstances.

The communication to the House was therefore greeted with applause as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi, Papa Owusu-Ankomah,

commended the President for acting on a suggestion by the MPs.

The communication also formally informed the House that the outgoing Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr E. T. Mensah, had been

given an additional responsibility as the acting Minister of Education.

The affected ministers are, Mr Alban Bagbin who is moving from the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to the Ministry of Health; Mr Benjamin Kunbuor, moving from the Ministry of the Interior to the Ministry of Justice, while E. T Mensah is being moved to the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing.

Meanwhile, a Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Fifi Kwetey, yesterday told the House that the country’s total domestic tax

revenue recorded a shortfall of 1. 6 per cent in 2009.

The target set, according to him, was GH¢4,705. 66 million while the actual amount realised was GH¢4,628. 66.

Answering a question posed by the MP for Agona East, Mr John Agyabeng , Mr Kwetey explained that even though LPG, premix fuel and marine oil

witnessed higher delivery volumes, there was a drastic reduction of about 90 per cent in excise duties on these products in 2009, leading

to substantial shortfall in petroleum tax revenue realised during the period.

He added that import duties also registered a shortfall of 9. 8 per cent as a result of the non-restoration of import duty on rice, yellow
maize, wheat and vegetable oil which had been factored into the year’s projections.

“Madam Speaker, in spite of the fact that there was a shortfall relative to the target, the growth in total tax revenue in 2009 was
significant at 17. 5 per cent,” he stated.

Source: Daily Graphic

Click on the audio file below to listen to Hon. Amoah-Awuku’s rendition on Boss FM.

ATTA YƐ SLOW

Credit: Good Morning Boss

Bailiffs from the Kumasi High Court, assisted by six policemen on Wednesday morning seized two vehicles belonging to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for non-payment of GH¢ 22,300 judgement debt.

The Kumasi Appeal Court recently upheld a High Court decision against ECG for the illegal disconnection of electricity at the residence of Nana Kwame Boateng at Ayigya, a suburb of Kumasi.

Nana Boateng, a royal of Asante Asokore and proprietor of Oxford International School, Amakom in Kumasi, sued ECG in 2007 for the illegal disconnection of electricity and defamation of character.

The two vehicles seized from the ECG Regional Headquarters at Airport roundabout were  Nissan Diesel pick-ups with registeration numbers ER 3303 – 11 and GT 928 – Y valued at GH¢ 80,000.

Auctioneers have towed away the vehicles to their yard.

By: Boss News

A former Finance Minister under the Kufuor administration Yaw Osafo Maafo appeared in court on Wednesday to pray it to grant an injunction to prevent him from appearing before the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO).

Early last week, a lawyer of the former finance minister Godfred Odame gave indications that his client would not be appearing before the EOCO because they had issues with the entire process the investigation is taking, adding that the Executive arm of government “should not be the one to call for an investigation into the issue. ”

Today, Mr. Maafo himself was in court in the company of a former deputy sports minister O. B Amoah and an ex-minister of finance Kwaku Agyemang-Manu to claim the injunction which could immune him from appearing before the EOCO.

The case was adjourned to February 27.

The national investigative outfit is investigating the controversial GhC51 million judgment debt paid to National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier Alfred Woyome and other such debt payments since the Mills Administration took office.

Source: Citifmonline. com