An Accra High Court, General Jurisdiction, has found Mr Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), guilty of defaming Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the Energy Minister.
The court presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah awarded damages of GH₵500,000.00 against Mr Gyamfi and ordered him to publish a retraction and an apology to the Minister.
The Court has also awarded a cost of 50,000.00 against him.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh in June 2019, dragged Mr Gyamfi to court for defamation and wanted the court to fine him GH¢1 million for defamatory statements against him.
Apart from the huge cash fine, the writ of summons filed on June 25, 2019, by Sarkodie Baffuor Awuah & Partners, lawyers for the plaintiff, had asked the court to order Mr Gyamfi to retract and apologise for the defamatory statement within seven days after the judgement.
The plaintiff, in his statement of claim, averred that Mr Gyamfi had greatly injured his positive image by falsely linking him to one Seidu Yakubu, aka “Mba”, an alleged ringleader in the kidnapping of Canadian girls in Kumasi recently.
The Member of Parliament for Manhyia South said the defendant’s statement had dented his image both in Ghana and abroad, since the said statement was widely captured in the traditional media and other electronic platforms.
The statement said over his entire public and private life, he had led a decent lifestyle worthy of emulation, so Mr Gyamfi had no justification to link him with “miscreants” to dent his image.
According to him, Mr Gyamfi, by his statement, intentionally portrayed him as a person, who supported thuggery, kidnapping and other illegal acts without any proof.
Meanwhile, Mr Gyamfi has served notice of filing an appeal and an application for a stay of execution to challenge the decision of the court.
Mr Gyamfi said it was his considered view that the court erred as its decision was “contrary to the evidence” that was put before it.
“More importantly, I hold the view that the court’s decision to totally disregard the testimony of my first defence witness, Mafus Jibril, who testified that the said Seidu Mba was in fact the errand boy of Plaintiff and was in his company when he (DW1) was attacked in Manhyia sometime in 2012, constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice,” he said.
Mr Gyamfi said it was worthy of note that the decision was only the ruling of the court of first instance and not final.
“I am determined to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion,” he added.