I’ll challenge judgement on NAPO’s defamation suit

The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is set to challenge a High Court’s judgement in a defamation case brought against him by Energy Minister, Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh.

The High Court, Accra, General Jurisdiction 12, presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah found that Sammy Gyamfi defamed the Energy Minister at a press conference in June 2019 when he said that “Seidu Yakubu, suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of the 2 Canadian girls in the year 2019, is the errand boy of Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh.”

The court awarded damages of GH¢500,000 in favour of Dr. Opoku Prempeh.

It also ordered Mr. Gyamfi to publish a retraction and an apology.

The NDC Communications Officer in reacting to the judgement said the High Court erred as its decision is contrary to the evidence that was put before the court.

“More importantly, I hold the view that the court’s decision to totally disregard the testimony of my witness, DW1, Mafus Jibril who testified that the said Seidu Mba was in fact the errand boy of Plaintiff and was in his company when he (DW1) was attacked in Manhyia sometime in 2012, constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice,” he wrote on his social media page.

Mr. Gyamfi indicated that his lawyers will be filing a “notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution to challenge the decision of the High Court forthwith. It’s my hope that justice will be served.”

“It is worthy of note, that this is only the decision of the court of the first instance and not final. I am determined to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion,” he added.