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Suspend retrieval of GH¢51.2m from Woyome - African court orders

According to the court, the steps to retrieve the money should be halted until  the court determines an appeal filed by Woyome

According to the court, the steps to retrieve the money should be halted until  the court determines an appeal filed by Woyome, who is arguing his human rights are being abused by the Supreme Court in Ghana.

The court in its ruling ordered Ghana to suspend the seizure of any property belonging to the businessman, "take all appropriate measures to maintain the status quo and avoid the property being sold" until the case was determined.

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"The court finds that the situation raised in the present application is of extreme gravity and urgency on the basis that should the applicant’s property be attached and sold to recover the 51, 283, 480.59 the applicant would suffer irreparable harm if the application on the merits is decided in his favour…" it said.

Background

Woyome dragged Ghana to the African Court of Justice in Arusha, Tanzania, in the matter of the Gh¢51.2million, he owes the state.

According to him, he was of the view that the Supreme Court of Ghana violated his human rights when it ruled that he should refund the Gh¢51.2million which he obtained through court processes to the state.

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In April this year, Woyome initiated a similar action at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), arguing that the judgment debt paid to him by the erstwhile administration, which the Supreme Court ruled that he got wrongfully and should be refunded, was a breach of his human rights.

He asserts in his statement of claim at the African Court of Justice that his human rights to equality before the law, fair trial and an impartial tribunal have been violated by the Supreme Court of Ghana.

According to him, he has no other avenue in Ghana to ventilate his grievances; accordingly he has exhausted all local remedies and wants an intervention from the African Court.

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