Exactly eight years ago, former president John Agyekum Kufuor dared the late ex-president John Evans Atta Mills’ administration to investigate him if they believed he was involved in the Woyome saga.
According to Mr. Kufour he was amused by attempts by the NDC to link Woyome’s case of defrauding the state of GH¢51.2 million to the NPP.
The ‘gentle giant’ hence made it clear that his administration did not introduce Woyome into mainstream politics hence the then NPP government cannot be blamed for his crime.
Former president Kufour made the statement in an interview on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show.
“… This man (Woyome) admitted on radio that he has no contract with the government. So how come someone who claims he never signed a contract with government go to court asking for some … $40million dollars … this has never happened in the history of this nation … and then when the government is called upon to explain how it doled out such an amount to him, they turn around and say the Woyome saga cropped up under Kufuor and that my administration ‘brought him’,” he bemoaned
Kuffour further clarified that his government never signed a contract with Agbesi Woyome, and that his ‘era’ has absolutely nothing to do with his unscrupulous and lawless act of corruption.
“This gentleman is a Ghanaian and could be almost 50 years old, so I ask, when was the Kufuor era for someone to accuse me … we never signed any contract with him … he only just associated himself with some companies undertaking construction works at the two stadia (Accra and Kumasi) … So if the abrogation of contracts with companies undertaking those works did not cost that much, how come someone we did not sign any contract with directly, be given $40million, such a huge amount of money as judgment debt … and then this government also went ahead and paid him?” he asked rhetorically.
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is daring the Mills’ administration to haul him before any investigative body for questioning if they believe he is complicit in the Woyome saga.
Mr Kufuor says he sometimes feels bemused by attempts to link the embattled NDC guru, Alfred Agbesi Woyome to the NPP, pointing out that his government did not introduce Woyome into mainstream politics hence, not the genesis of the entire brouhaha.
“…this man (Woyome) admitted on radio that he has no contract with the government. So how come someone who claims he never signed a contract with government go to court asking for some…$40million dollars…this has never happened in the history of this nation…and then when the government is called upon to explain how it doled out such an amount to him, they turn around and say the Woyome saga cropped up under Kufuor and that my administration ‘brought him’…This gentleman is a Ghanaian and could be almost 50 years old, so I ask, when was the Kufuor era for someone to accuse me…we never signed any contract with him…he only just associated himself with some companies undertaking construction works at the two stadia (Accra and Kumasi)…So if the abrogation of contracts with companies undertaking those works did not cost that much, how come someone we did not sign any contract with directly, be given $40million, such a huge amount of money as judgement debt…and then this government also went ahead and paid him?” he asked rather rhetorically.
Speaking in an interview on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, the former president dared the NDC government to invite him for questioning if they believe he is the cause of the Woyome saga. According to him, the beleaguered NDC guru used fraudulent means to get the GH¢51million and did not point a gun at anybody’s head so the ruling party cannot lay the blame at his doorstep.
“…Me, me if they (NDC) can they should invite me for questioning and ask me about this matter…I am ready to tell the whole world that my government had nothing to do with the gargantuan Woyome judgment debt…it was this (NDC) government that went ahead to make payments without recourse to proper investigations,” he added.
He expressed his disappointment with the Attorney-General’s department for failing to carry out its duties in a more professional manner before doling out the “gargantuan” amount of money to Mr Woyome despite the availability of great lawyers and legal practitioners at the department.
“…it is sad that this government went ahead to dole out that huge sum of money to Woyome who had no contract with government and had publicly stated so…What is more surprising is how all the ace legal practitioners at the A-G department could turn a blind eye to all the facts that pointed other wise and order the payment,” he said.
Whilst lauding the decision by government to haul Mr. Woyome before court to answer questions about how he defrauded the state, Mr Kufuor also stated that any key actor in the scandal, especially those who authorized and ordered payments, must be arrested for the whole truth to be uncovered.
Source:Ghanaweb.com
