I’ve Never Given Or Taken Bribe- Woyome
Embattled Ghanaian businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome has challenged the General Legal Council (GLC)’s decision to disbar Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, a Chief State Attorney and lawyer, postulating he is a law abiding citizen.
At a news conference on Friday, February 16, Woyome who was at the centre of the controversial Waterville judgment debt in 2011 defended the former legal practitioner.
“I have been law abiding in this country. I’ve never given a bribe or taken a bride. Even though I have never been in a government position, neither have I benefitted from any government money whatsoever in any government-appointed position. My brief stay in the government of Atta Mills as a Board Chairman and Appointment and Nomination Committee member, even fuel coupons, I never accepted it.”
The GLC in a notice dated January 31, 2024, which surfaced on February 15 announced Nerquaye-Tetteh indirectly received an amount of GH¢400,000.00 from Alfred Agbesi Woyome, an accused in the Alfred Agbesi Woyome versus General & Anor case in 2011 while acting as a lawyer and a Chief State Attorney.
The notice said the amount was received into the account of Nerquaye-Tetteh’s wife without any reasonable explanation, a conduct the GLC found adversely affects the dignity and high standing of the legal profession.
At the presser, Woyome said Nerquaye-Tetteh is innocent as has been proved by the judiciary.
{Nerquaye-Tetteh} is a hard working individual who worked for all the political parties including Nana Addo and other people. he worked very hard for Ghana and saved Ghana a lot of money by going out to fight against judgement debt and winning them.”
“This {GLC notice} is to punish this gentleman for doing nothing wrong.”
Background
Woyome, a known National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier at the time, faced two counts: causing financial loss to the state and defrauding by pretence. This was after he received 51 million cedis as judgment debt over the cancellation of a contract awarded to him by an NPP government to mobilize funds for constructing stadia for the CAN 2008 tournament held in Ghana.
The payment of the debt was made under the watch of Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu in the late Mills administration, when Woyome proceeded to court to claim the contract was illegally cancelled and demanded a judgement debt.
However, after the appointment of Martin Amidu as Attorney General in 2010, the case was reopened for the prosecution of Woyome, Nerquaye-Tetteh and one other individual for the illegal receipt and payment.
