Edward Akufo-Addo
Edward Akufo-Addo, brother of President Nana Akufo-Addo has sued Class Media Group, operators of Accra-based Class FM, a host of the station, Kwabena Bobbie Ansah as well two panelists for unsubstantiated comments aimed at damaging his reputation.
Mensah Thompson, the Executive Director of Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) during a programme hosted by Bobbie Ansah on Class FM had alleged that the plaintiff was in the possession of the Presidential Jet – ‘The Falcon’ which he uses for his private businesses while the President was traveling with a rented one.
Speaking as a panelist on the show dubbed ‘The Citizen Show’, Mensah Thompson alleged that Edward Akufo-Addo who is referred to by friends as ‘Bompty’ “uses the Presidential Jet, he uses it. The Presidential Jet is at the disposal of Bompty, your brother. It is the one he travels in wherever he goes. When you have wasted the resources of the country to rent the private jet then your brother would be cruising in this one”.
Asked by the host of the programme whether he was sure about the allegation, Mensah Thompson insisted it was the fact, adding that “I am saying this on authority that the Presidential Jet, the Falcon is at the disposal of Bompty”.
Listowell Nana Kusi-Poku Executive Director of Good Governance and Advocacy Group Ghana who was also on the show who appeared to agree with Mensah Thompson also responded “yes, his younger brother” after the host enquired about the allegation.
Mensah Thompson further went on to allege that it is the state that fuels the Presidential Jet which the Edward Akufo-Addo uses for his private business.
“So when the Presidential Jet, having gone to hire a private jet, the Falcon would be in Abuja? Bompty! What are we confronted with in this town? You see, all these are there and Ghanaians we are not angry enough! This Falcon was bought by President Kufuor who used it”… you are spending the country’s money to charter flights traveling around and have given the Falcon to your sibling as if it were a family property. Is the Falcon a property of the family? Is the Falcon your family property to put it at the disposal of your brother”?
Claim
Edward Akufo-Addo in his statement of claim avers that the words authored by the defendants in their natural and ordinary meaning are understood to mean that even though he is not the President he is using the Presidential Jet as a result of his relationship as the brother of the President of Ghana.
He avers that the word complained of also mean that he travelled on the Presidential Jet to Abuja for his personal business while the President of Ghana was in France on official duty.
He adds that the words complained of means he treats the Presidential Jet as if same was a family property and his conduct was an affront to the Ghanaian public.
“Plaintiff says that the words complained of are utterly false and a product of the defendants’ malicious imagination and were calculated solely to disparage him and bring his name into opprobrium”.
He avers that even though members of his family played paramount roles in public services in Ghana, he has throughout his life endeavoured to live a private life devoid of public eyes and has succeeded until the impugned publication by the defendants.
“Plaintiff says that the damage caused to his reputation is substantial as a result of his several years of education out of Ghana and extensive business dealings with partners outside Ghana.
He is therefore seeking GH¢10 million as damages for defamation contained in the words complained of, an apology and retraction of the word complained of and an injunction restraining the defendants whether by themselves, their servants, agents or assigns from repeating the same or other similar words complained of.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak