Businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome is challenging the decision of the General Legal Council (GLC) to disbar a Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh, over the transfer of GH¢400,000 into his wife’s bank account.

Speaking to the media on Friday, February 16, Mr Woyome insisted that he has never paid, nor will he ever pay a bribe, emphasising that the state attorney is being victimised.

"I want you to understand one thing that I have been law-abiding in this country. I've never given a bribe or taken a bribe because I've never been in a government position neither have I benefited from any government money whatsoever in any government," he said.

Mr Woyome's remarks come after GLC disbarred Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh from practising as a lawyer for collecting GH¢400,000 from him in 2011.

In a notice dated January 31, 2024, the GLC said while defending the state against a suit by Mr Woyome in 2011, Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh personally caused the direct transfer of an amount of GH¢400,000 from Mr Woyome to the bank account of his wife.

Read also: Chief State Attorney expelled from the bar for allegedly accepting GH¢400K from Woyome 

According to the GLC, Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh could not offer any reasonable explanation for the said transfer of the GH¢400,000 into the bank account of his wife.

On the back of this, Mr Woyome says the money was a loan he advanced to Mrs Nerquaye-Tetteh, argues that it is not appropriate to mistreat the Chief State Attorney who has actively worked towards the improvement of the country.

"Well, that's the statement they [GLC] had made and that is the cost for which somebody's son, somebody’s higher working individual who has worked for all the political parties including Nana Addo and other people.

"He has worked very hard for Ghana and has saved Ghana a lot of money by going outside to fight against judgment debt and winning them. This is what is said when to punish this gentleman for nothing he has done."

Mr Woyome emphasised that the GLC statement regarding the conduct of Mr Nerquaye-Tetteh is unfortunate, acknowledging that the GLC is a body mandated by statute to regulate the conduct of practicing lawyers, including individuals on the bench.

"But to say anything further I will say that the General Legal Council is not a law court. It’s a civil judicial body which has equivalence to the High Court of Ghana.

"And its decisions can be challenged and its decisions ought to be challenged to make sure that the law and our own freedom and justice, which is the basis on which the Constitution is written, is respected," he said.

He revealed his attempt to participate in the GLC case against Mr Tetteh, but his request was denied.