Woyome's relatives jubilate in court (video)

Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome walked with a victory sign out of the High Court Thursday morning.

He raised two fingers in the air and exhibited the victory sign as he descended the staircase from the court room and moved straight into a black Nissan Patrol vehicle that whisked him away together with his wife.

They headed straight home without a word to the press to celebrate.

Woyome was Thursday morning acquitted and discharged by the High Court on two counts of defrauding by false pretence and causing financial loss to the state.

After the court sitting, the first thing he did was to go to the defence counsel, shook hands and thanked them.

His facial expression depicted a man who was highly elated.

Friends, relatives and sympathisers showered praises on him as depicted in the video below. 

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A member of the defence counsel Ahmed Musa later told journalists they were very grateful to God. 

For them, it was a happy moment and they were thankful to God that after three years they are victorious.

For a case that was of national interest such that the President and Parliamentarians were always talking about it, they were happy that it was all over now. 

Graphiconline's Mabel Aku Baneseh reporting from the court room said the court said the state failed to prove Woyome fraudulently obtained GHc51.2 million. 

Baneseh reported that the presiding Judge, Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, took on the prosecution for failing to call former Attorney-General, Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu, Rex Magnus Danquah, Ebo Barton Odro, Paul Asimenu, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh and others who all had given written opinion that Woyome was entitled to the claim.

He said the State had also failed to put up a defence when Woyome went to the Commercial Court and, therefore, found it absurd for the State to turn around and accuse Woyome of Causing financial loss.

The Judge queried, "where lies the charge of causing financial loss when the state failed to fight the case on its merit at the Commercial Court?"

He also said there were inconsistencies in the evidence led by the prosecution witness.

Based on the foregoing, the court said there was no legal basis for Woyome to be convicted. 

Immediately after the judgement, an elated Woyome was whisked away from court

Meanwhile, the state has indicated it will appeal the acquittal and discharge of businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome.

 "We disagree completely with the judgement of the court,” the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong said in an interview with Graphiconline.

“We are applying for a copy of the judgement, study it carefully and appeal accordingly,” Mrs Appiah-Opong noted.

One of her predecessors, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, in 2010 advised that Woyome be paid the amount.

According to the court, the state’s criticism of Mrs Mould-Iddrisu was “misplaced,” because she (Mrs Mould-Iddrisu) acted on advise from lawyers from the Ministry of Finance, the Attorney-General’s department and other consultants.

See more photos from the court here