Pay your debt to the state if you have money and go for your properties – Supreme Court tells Woyome

The Supreme Court of the land has told businessman and financier of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to honour his indebtedness to the state if he has money and go for his properties which the country is seeking leave of the court to acquire.

Woyome had appeared before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, wanting to challenge an application that had been filed by the state in connection to the acquisition of his properties but the move was blocked by the Chief Justice, Justice Anin-Yeboah, who presided over a five-member panel hearing the case.

Woyome, according to the Chief Justice, had earlier informed the court through his lawyer that he was sick and therefore sought the indulgence of the Supreme Court to appear before it on Monday, June 8, 2020.

Not enthused by the sudden turn of events, the Justice Anin-Yeboah, told Woyome to engage his lawyer if he has anything to tell the Supreme Court.

“You can tell your lawyer what you want to tell us. If you have money, go and pay, pay and get your properties back”, Justice Anin-Yeboah was quoted as saying by starrfm.com.gh.

The motion for leave of the court for the state to acquire the properties of Mr. Woyome, www.politicoghana.com understands, was premised on auctioneer’s notice that it was unable to auction the properties of the NDC financier because buyers fear the properties could be returned to him by a future government.

The case was therefore adjourned to Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Background

The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, had told the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General in a letter dated March 4, 2020, that potential buyers of Woyome’s properties are afraid to buy the said properties for fear that they may be restored back to him should a new government takes over the administration of the country.

With the circumstances at hand, Mr. Kan-Dapaah, noted that a decision had been reached for the said properties to be surrendered to the State to forestall the need for an auction.

The letter made reference to the Supreme Court’s order to have the properties of Mr. Woyome auctioned to settle judgment debt.

In July 2019, after three years of legal battle over the true ownership of properties in the case involving Mr. Woyome, the Supreme Court ordered the auctioning of his assets to defray the GH¢47.2 million debt he owes the State.

The assets in question include two mansions at Trassaco Estate, a house at Kpehe where he resides, an office complex of Anator Holdings, residential building at Abelemkpe and a stone quarry in the Eastern Region including its plants and equipment.

The Supreme Court at the time, with Justice A. A. Bennin serving as the sole judge held that the properties belonged to Woyome.

The Court also said that the claim by the defunct UT Bank that Mr. Woyome had sold the two houses at Trassaco Estate to the bank to defray his debt was a sham.

Furthermore, the court held that Woyome’s quarry was not used as collateral, as he and the bank claimed.

Costs of GH¢60,000 was awarded against UT Bank and Woyome by the Court in 2019.

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