Mr Alfred Woyome, a businessman, on Wednesday, told the Financial Court that a correspondence between the Ministries of Justice and Attorney General and Finance indicated that there was an agreement between him and the government.
He said according to the letter, the Attorney General (A-G) stated that the two per cent to be paid to Mr Woyome was in order and that the Ministry of Finance could negotiate with him on the modalities of payment.
Mr Woyome is standing trial for defrauding by false pretences, and causing financial loss to the State.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and is on a GH? 20-million bail.
The accused said the recommendation from the A-G department was right since he had an agreement with the government.
Mr Woyome said there was a letter dated March 25,2010, from the Ministry of Finance to the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, regarding the legitimate claim of the two per cent being charged by him.
“It is a cost charged internationally,” he said.
He said Bank of Austria through him completed hospital projects at Sogakofe, Begoro and Gushiegu and no money was transferred to the Bank of Ghana for those hospitals,” he said.
He said the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General wrote a letter to authorities of Bank of Austria, asking whether monies were transferred to Ghana in his name, but he indicated that was not the right procedure.
He said an introduction letter signed by Mr Kweku Agyeman Manu, the then Deputy Minister of Finance dated May 4, 2005 and addressed to authorities of Bank of Austria and copied to other agencies, indicated that the Ministry was aware of the meeting being organised between them and Woyome.
When asked about his relationship with Austro-Invest, Mr Woyome said he contracted the company to do financial syndication for him but the company did not do the work directly, so he had to arrange for a different company for work done.
He said later, Austro-Invest took him to court but withdrew the case, when he paid $1 million on the work evaluated.
The case had been adjourned to June 26.
Source: GhanaWeb
