Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko
Private legal practitioner, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has dragged former Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations Minister, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng to an Accra High Court for defamation.
A writ of summons issued by Mr Otchere-Darko sighted by DGN Online stated that, Prof Frimpong-Boateng has used words that are defamatory and libelous against him.
He is, therefore, demanding GH¢10 million in general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation for libel uttered by Prof Frimpong-Boateng.
Additionally, he is again demanding an apology and a retraction from the renowned heart surgeon.
He is further seeking a perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant whether by his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against him.
This followed the content of a report in relation to activities embarked on by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which was authored by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.
After serving as the Committee’s Chairman, Prof Frimpong-Boateng on Friday, March 19, 2021 authored the report to the Chief of Staff after months of the dissolution of the Committee.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng cited Mr Otchere-Darko for calling him once to defend a mining firm – Heritage Imperial – owned by one Donald Entsuah.
“What saddened me most was when Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko called to defend a company that was actively destroying the environment, especially the forests and River Offin in the Apaprama and Kobro Forests,” Prof Frimpong-Boateng stated.
But Gabby explained that he was only working as a legal representative of the firm.
“After listening to the words of Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko,” the cardio surgeon hit back, “I became sad for Ghana.”
“I wondered what happened to us to get to this state, where a person who is supposed to be a lawyer to a mining company exhibited such industrial-scale ignorance about mining laws and regulations.”
It is as a result of this allegations among others that Mr. Otchere-Darko has instituted a suit against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng.
By Vincent Kubi