Western Regional Minister, Hon. Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has issued an ultimatum to the Chief of Dompim Pepesa, Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, to retract and apologize for his defamatory claim that he (the Minister) is involved in galamsey in the Dompim Pepesa area.
The Minister threatened that failure to retract and offer an unqualified apology within 24 hours and he with head to court to redress for defamation.
The Chief alleged during a radio interview that the Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Takoradi is among three officials of the government behind illegal mining in the Dompim Pepesa area of the Western Region, Ghana.
He alleged: “I know not of any company but I know of the very people who are behind the operations of ‘galamsey’ in my area. First and foremost the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is involved/”
He also indicated that he has incontrovertible evidence of the involvement of the Minister and the others in illegal mining activity (galamsey) in the area.
In a rejoinder, however, solicitors for the Minister stressed the allegation is absolutely false, baseless, unwarranted and a figment of the chief’s imagination.
“Our Client further informs us that your malicious allegation against him is intended to lower him in the eyes of the ordinary Ghanaian and to settle your personal score with him.”
“Consequently, we hold our Client’s firm instructions to demand from you, which we hereby do, a total retraction of the said defamatory statements in respect of our Client, together with an unqualified apology through the same medium used in the publication of the false statements.”
“Please note that should you fail to meet our demands within twenty-four (24) hours from the date of this letter, we hold our Client’s unequivocal instructions to immediately commence legal action against you,” the statement said.