Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu has weighed in on the debate surrounding businessman Alfred Agbesi Woyome and the General Legal Council’s (GLC) decision to disbar Chief State Attorney, Samuel Nerquaye-Tetteh.
Kpebu has argued that Woyome should not have challenged the GLC’s decision, given the implications of the state attorney’s conduct in the legal profession.
The GLC, in a notice dated January 31, 2024, stated that 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 while defending the state against a suit by Woyome in 2011. The GLC further mentioned that Mr. Nerquaye-Tetteh could not provide a reasonable explanation for the said transfer of GH¢400,000 into his wife’s bank account.
Woyome, however, asserts that the money was a loan he advanced to Mrs. Nerquaye-Tetteh for her business.
Kpebu, speaking on JoyFM’s TopStory on February 16, expressed that this conduct is unacceptable in the legal profession, as it could influence the decision of verdicts. He also added that the best response to the matter should have been silence.
Contrary to Woyome’s comments that he has never paid, nor will he ever pay a bribe, Kpebu maintains that the businessman’s actions were in violation of the ethics of the legal profession. He emphasized that it was wrong and no reason is good enough to justify the action.
Kpebu also raised questions about Woyome’s humanitarian act, expressing doubts about whether he had fully paid the judgment debt. He further urged Woyome to learn to keep quiet, as his actions only serve to remind the public of his legal obligations.
The debate surrounding Woyome, the GLC’s decision, and the actions of the state attorney continues to provoke dialogue and scrutiny within the legal community.
