Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko
The Ghana Palaver newspaper, which is affiliated to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has appealed to an Accra High Court to grant it permission to apologize to nephew of President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, for publishing libelous story about him.
DAILY GUIDE has sighted court documents in which Ghana Palaver that is published by Revalap Publishers has agreed to pay the filing fees and other costs associated with the suit in question.
It would be recalled that in one of its lead stories, the paper inaccurately stated that the “controversial Finance Minister and cousin of President Akufo-Addo, Ken Ofori-Atta, has packaged a juicy contract and given it to a law firm founded by his equally controversial nephew, Asare Otchere Darko, popularly called Gabby.”
The story was headlined: “Revealed: Ken Ofori-Atta gives Gabby Otchere-Darko $20m Review Contract.”
It subsequently described the purported contract as another example of the “obscene form of nepotism and cronyism that have characterised the Akufo-Addo government”
Mr. Otchere-Darko, a legal practitioner, who was dissatisfied with the publication which was intended to tarnish his reputation and that of the Finance Minister, decided to sue the newspaper.
The prayer to the court to be allowed to apologize to Mr. Otchere-Darko has exposed the diabolic agenda of the newspaper.
Publishers and editors of Ghana Palaver Newspaper, represented by Revalap Publishers and Suppliers and Eric Amedjoe, agreed to render “an unqualified apology and full retraction of the story that gave rise to this suit, giving it front-page banner headline in the Ghana Palaver within 14 days of the consent judgement.”
The unqualified apology and retraction shall be carried by the defendants on the website of the Ghana Palaver on the same day of its publication in the Ghana Palaver, DAILY GUIDE has gathered.
“The defendants shall reimburse the plaintiff of the filing fees for all the processes filed so far in the suit within 30 days of entry of this settlement as consent judgement.
Per the agreement, supervised by Justice Eric Kyei Baffuor, High Court Judge, and signed on 20th November, 2018, “the plaintiff fully reserves the right to move against the defendants should they default.”
By Melvin Tarlue