Source: The Statesman – The Statesman
….. As EOCO says Mills’ directives not to pay Woyome were twice ignored
The outcome of the investigations conducted by the Economic and Organized Crimes Office seems to be lending more credence to the widely-held belief that President John Evans Atta Mills is not in full control of the affairs of the nation, with his directives not carrying the needed presidential weight.
The report of the EOCO probe seems to have also confirmed the view that President Mills is a hypocrite who should not be trusted by Ghanaians any more.
Since the gargantuan GHC58m Woyome scandal hit the nation, the president, together with his functionaries, has repeatedly sought to create the impression that he was not aware of the processes that led to the alleged fraudulent payment to his bankroller.
But according to Mordey Akpadzi, Executive Director of the EOCO, President Mills knew about the transaction before the payment was eventually effected.
EOCO yesterday submitted its report on the controversial Woyome judgement debt to President John Atta Mills after weeks of investigations.
? Mr Akpadzi disclosed that President Mills twice directed his appointees who were handling the matter to stop the payment. But regrettably the directive of the number one citizen of the country was violated and the payments made.
“What the facts have shown is that when the initial issue of paying Mr Woyome came up, His Excellency ordered the Ministry of Finance not to pay. Then Mr Woyome went to court and got a court order and even then His Excellency ordered the Attorney-General to go to court and get the order to set aside because Mr Woyome was not entitled to the money,? EOCO boss said about the man who claimed he did not know anything about the Woyome issue.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Asare ?Gabby? Otchere-Darko, has raised questions about the integrity and authority of President Mills in his dealings with the nation and appointees respectively.
Speaking to the New Statesman in a telephone interview, Mr Otchere-Darko wondered why the President who had been mandated with all the powers of the state could look on and allow his functionaries to defy his order with impunity.
?In particular, all reasonable people will want to know why the President has not identified and fired those who twice violated his orders,? Gabby charged.
Gabby finds it difficult to understand why the president had failed to exert the necessary influence over his appointees, wondering: ?what is the use of this President whose directives mean very little to people??
The DI boss added that President Mills owe it a duty to the people of Ghana to explain why he directed that the payment should not be made to his bankroller
?Again now that we are told there were presidential directives to stop the payment, the good people of Ghana deserve to see the directive. The President should also tell us whether he saw the correspondence between the A-G and the Minister of Finance,? Gabby added.
In the view of Mr Otchere-Darko, the sordid case of the Woyome scandal makes a compelling case that ?the President is out of his depth, is inept, incompetent and not fit to be President.? He wonders: ?For how can he preside over a Cabinet when no cabinet member listens to him??
