It appears the Gh51.2 million Alfred Agbesi Woyome case is becoming too hot for the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Dr. Benjamin Kumbour to handle, as his outfit pleads for more time to assemble facts.
Cynthia Lamptey, the principal state attorney in the trial of Mr. Woyome, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) bankroller, for alleged fraud, yesterday admitted that the state was yet to conclude investigations due to the complexity of the case.
Woyome has been charged with defrauding and abetment of crime along with three other persons.
The prosecutor dropped a hint that more people were likely to be charged along with the four suspects.
The state attorney, who did not give further explanation on the complexity of the case, also described it as "an unfinished docket" and consequently prayed the court to adjourn the case for about a month to enable the state to conclude investigations.
Ms Lamptey said this before Justice John Ajet-Nassam at an Accra Fast Track High Court Financial Division where the accused persons, Woyome, Samuel Neequaye-Tetteh, the Chief State Attorney and his wife Gity Neequaye-Tetteh and Paul Asimenu, Legal Director at the Ministry of Finance,are on trail in connection with the GH51.2 million fraud allegedly perpetrated against the state.
However, counsel for the accused persons, Kwame Akuffo and Addo Atuah did not take kindly to the prayer for another adjournment and said submission of the state attorney proved the state was in no way ready to start the trial.
They wondered why the accused persons were arrested and brought before the court when the state knew they had not finished with investigations, adding that they should have concluded investigations and put their house in order before arresting the suspects.
They however said they would await directions from the bench.
Justice Ajet-Nassan refused to grant the state a month on grounds that they would relax if he did so and not speed up with the investigations.
Justice Ajet-Nassan consequently had the matter adjourned to March 26, 2012.
Ms Lamptey, at the last hearing, said the prosecuting team would need sometime for hearing to begin as some suspects would be arrested and tried with the accused persons for the alleged offence.
Mr. Woyome had been granted bail in the sum of GH�20 million with three sureties, after initially being granted bail in the sum of GH�54 million bail bond with two sureties to be justified, a bail condition which his lawyers had difficulty in meeting.
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