Former Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta Constituency, Joseph Albert Qualm, has filed GH¢2.5 million defamation suit against former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, over allegations made against him in the controversial illegal mining (Galamsey) report.
The suit stems from allegations made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report when he chaired the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), which accused Mr. Qualms, who was member of the board of the Minerals Commission, of allegedly selling mining concessions for up to GH¢250,000 to private individuals, including party members.
Mr. Qualm is the third person to file a defamation suit against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in the aftermath of the report which accused some officials of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of allegedly hindering the fight against illegal mining as well as engaged in illegal mining which has become a menace in the country’s mining areas.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, in the report alleged, among others that Mr. Qualm was, “selling these concessions to private individuals, including party members for two hundred thousand Cedis per concession. This infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate, they voted against Mr. Qualm, the sitting MP, who was more resourced than other candidates. Although there were allegations that he “camped” delegates and attempted to bribe them, he lost to a lesser known individual who did not have any financial muscle.”
Mr. Qualms avers in his statement of claim that Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s averments and libelous statements contained in the report which has become public knowledge has caused him anguish, agony and distress as the statements have been discussed on almost all media platforms both in Ghana and internationally.
He avers that the words in their natural and ordinary meaning suggests that he is a lawless citizen whose behavior promotes the canker of galamsey, is involved in underhand dealings of sale of concessions and also means he is involved in bribery and vote buying.
Mr. Qualm, is therefore, seeking GH¢2.5 million to be awarded against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng as special, aggravated and exemplary damages for the unsubstantiated allegations made against him.
He is also seeking an injunction restraining Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, his servants and agents from further publishing or causing to be published any portion of the report so long as they relate to him.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak