Mr. Alfred Agbesi Woyome, the embattled business man at the centre of a suit concerning the payment of a judgment debt to the government of Ghana, has sought refuge in the African Court on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) in Arusha, Tanzania, also known as Arusha Court.
Counsel for Mr. Woyome stated that a case has been filed at the ACHPR concerning the violation of the rights of his client.
He filed another motion on stay of proceedings stating that proceedings in the Supreme Court would have a bearing on the case before the ACHPR. He said the case before the Arusha Court was in relation to a ruling delivered by the Supreme Court against a previous motion he filed for stay of proceedings.
Counsel for Mr. Woyome argued that on 29th of February, 2011 Ghana signed a declaration which stated that cases (with respect to human rights violation) from Ghana against Ghana, could be taken to the Arusha Court, after all domestic remedies had been exhausted. Having exhausted all remedies in Ghana, they filed a case before the ACHPR.
In their affidavit in opposition, the State represented by the Deputy Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, stated that the affidavit in support of the motion filed by Woyome was seeking to overturn the ruling against the previous motion on stay of proceedings in the Arusha Court and that the action by Woyome was unlawful.
Mr. Dame explained that the Supreme Court was the highest appellate court and that no other court could have a supervisory function over the Supreme Court, neither could a decision by the Supreme Court, be subjected to review in an International Court.
The Deputy Attorney General, argued that the Applicant (Mr. Woyome) had not demonstrated how a judgment from the Supreme Court led to the infringement of his human rights.
He also said the request by the Applicant was not permissible, since the case was in the exclusive jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Ruling on the motion of Stay of Proceedings filed by Woyome has been set for 28th November, 2017.
By GhanaJustice/F.Kyeremateng
