‘We Don’t Know Woyome’

By Esther Awuah

Alfred Agbesi Woyome

THE TWO construction companies involved in the rehabilitation of stadia for the CAN 2008 tournament have denied knowing Alfred Agbesi Woyome as an official of Waterville Holdings Limited. 

The Managing Directors of Consar Limited and Michelletti Company Limited, who appeared before the Commission of Enquiry investigating the payment of Judgement Debts, yesterday stated categorically that they never had any official dealings with the businessman when it came to issues with Waterville.

Mr. Woyome, the self-styled National Democratic Congress (NDC) financier was paid a whopping GH¢51.2million as judgement debt after he alleged government had abrogated a contract with Waterville, a company he claims to represent.

He is currently facing two counts of defrauding by false pretences and causing financial loss to the state.

Consar Limited’s Confession

Stefano Ramella Pezza, the Managing Director of Consar, who was the first to appear before the Commission, stated that he only dealt with Andrea Orlandi MD for Waterville and Ernesto Taricone, who were representatives of Waterville at that time, and only met Mr. Woyome causally.

“I met Mr. Woyome casually once or twice but we (Consar) had nothing to do with him because we had no dealings with him,” he emphasised.

Mr. Pezza, who was led in evidence by Dometi Kofi Sorkpor counsel for the commission which is presided over by Justice Yaw Apau, explained that his company got to know Waterville because Waterville was suppose to have financed the rehabilitation of the Kumasi Stadium but because it could not meet its obligations, government had to contract Consar to finish the project.

He indicated that “Waterville could not provide the funds for the project so government had to step in and take over the whole arrangement because the games were approaching and there was pressure to complete the project.

“So government decided to finance it on its own, and we were asked to compensate Waterville to the tune of $2.7 million for whatever it had started to do, so we can take over. We were, therefore, dealing with the agreement made by government and Waterville, which was to rehabilitate the Kumasi Stadium.”

Mr. Pezza again added that they were not supplied with equipment from Waterville for the project: “I do confirm that we were not supplied with any equipment from Waterville because we have our own equipment which we used in the construction.” 

He promised to furnish the commission with a full documentary report on the issue.

Michelletti’s Accounts

Next to appear before the commission was Jimmy Caspagna, the Managing Director of Michelletti Company Limited, who also told the commission that with regard to  Waterville, his company dealt with Mr. Orlandi but it never came to his notice that Woyome had anything to do with Waterville.

“I met Woyome on a few occasions but I never met him in any official or technical capacity while dealing with Waterville.”

Mr. Caspagna, who was the Technical Director during the rehabilitation project of the Accra and the El-Wak Stadia, explained that the relationship between Michelletti and Waterville came about because his company was nominated as subcontractors to Waterville in the original contract between Waterville and the government of Ghana.

He stated that “when Waterville’s contract was terminated, a new contract between government and Michelletti was enforced so we took over the project from day one till it was commissioned.”

He stated that Michelletti used its own equipment, adding that his company made certified payments of $950,000 to Waterville as cost for starting the project.

In an interview with Daily Guide, Mr. Sorkpor noted that the Commission, with regard to this case, wanted to establish whether Woyome had anything to do with Waterville Holdings Limited

“Woyome had mentioned certain things in respect to Waterville, and all that we wanted to know was whether Woyome had anything to do with Waterville, and they (MDs) made it very clear to us that there was no connection. So when we come to the main Woyome matter, we will deal with such issues,” he emphasised.

Also appearing before the Commission was Bruce Banoeng-Yakubo, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in relation to a case involving his Ministry, Nana Owusu Akyaw Prempeh II, Worakesehene, the Attorney General, Lands Valuation Board and the State Housing Company (SHC) Limited.

In the said case, Nana Prempeh was awarded a judgement debt of GH¢27 million, a case which was decided at the Kumasi High Court on 26 August 2008.

Nana Prempeh told the Commission on Monday May 20, 2013, that in 1943 his stool gave a land for free to the then government for the construction of a hospital in the Ashanti Region.

However, the hospital was relocated to a different site, and the project was abandoned.

But the state did not return the land to its owners, which they later found out had been handed over to the SHC and part to the Ghana Police Service for the construction of a barracks for its personnel.

Nana Prempeh continued that they then protested till the then Minister of Lands and Forestry during former President Kufour’s tenure directed the Land Valuation Board (LVB)

to pay the necessary compensation but they (LVB)  delayed, so the plaintiff decided to proceed to court to seek redress.

“Fortunately we won the case against the state and I was invited for settlement by the Attorney Generals Department with the earlier stated amount,” Nana Prempeh emphasised. 

But the Chief Director of the Ministry said they were not aware of the payment of the said amount even though they heard a judgement debt was paid to the Chief.

“Even though the Ministry was aware the case went to court, and a judgement debt awarded, as far as our records was concerned, we did not know the exact amount.”