Nathaniel Dekyi
THE WESTERN Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has filed a one million Ghana Cedis suit against Nathaniel Dekyi, an alleged self-styled chief of Dompim Pepesa in the region and the Multimedia Group for alleged defamation.
The lawsuit listed Nathaniel Dekyi, who also goes by the name Nana Nyowah Panyin IV, as the first defendant and the Multimedia Group Limited as the 2nd defendant.
The 7-page writ filed on October 14, 2022, at an Accra High Court, alleges that the 1st defendant made a defamatory statement against the plaintiff.
According to the writ, the first defendant indicated that the plaintiff, together with two other government officials, are involved in galamsey operations in the Dompim Pepesa area of the region.
“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,” the first defendant was reported to have said.
The suit states that the first defendant claimed he has inconvertible evidence of the involvement of the plaintiff and the others in illegal mining activities in the Dompim Pepesa area.
The suit continued that the statement by the first defendant, published by the second defendant, was defamatory of the plaintiff’s character.
It also indicated that the general damages of GH¢1 million included the solicitor’s fee on a full indemnity basis.
The Statement of Claim stated that on October 10, 2022, the first defendant granted an interview on the Joy FM Super Morning show owned and operated by the second defendant.
“In the interview, the first defendant made spurious allegations against the person of the plaintiff that the plaintiff together with two other government officials, is involved in galamsey in the Dompim Pepesa area.”
The plaintiff averred that the wild allegations by the first defendant and published by the second defendant were absolute false, baseless and unwarranted.
The plaintiff indicated that the two defendants have refused to retract and apologise for the defamatory statements.
“Unless compelled by the court, the defendants shall persist in the defamation of the plaintiff,” the statement added.
FROM Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi