The State Secretary of Okyeman, Daniel Marfo Ofori Atta has sued Hopeson Yaovi Adorye a memner of Movement for Change and Media General for defamation on the controversial ‘‘Agyapadie book” by Akyem Abuakwa State Secretary, Mr Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta for referring to him as the author and technical director of the ‘AGYAPADIE’ document.
The book whose content suggests a detailed strategy aimed at positioning and maintaining Akyem people at commanding height in all spheres of the Ghanaian economy has popped up again, gaining prominence in both traditional media and social media.
Management of Media General, who operate various media houses including Onua TV and Onua FM is also cited as 2nd Defendant in the suit because they are duty bound to ensure that the platform and resources it provides to its employees and panellists are not used to defame and/ or infringe the rights and liberties of others.
The defamation suit, which is seeking the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis in general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation by Hopeson Adoye (1st defendant), also demands an apology.
The plaintiff further seeks a declaration of a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or assigns from ripening similar or other defamatory words against the Plaintiff.
According to the writ of summons, on or about 26/07/2024, the 1st Defendant appeared as a panellist on the 2nd Defendant’s programme “Onua Maakye” a programme carried on 2nd Defendant’s Onua TV among others.
It said that the 1st defendant was given the unfettered and unrestrained opportunity and indeed was encouraged to run an unjustified commentary on and/or amplification of a document titled “Agyapadee” in relation to the Plaintiff, the entire membership of Ofori Panin Fie and Okyeman inter alia as follows;
The statement of claim reproduced the commentary run by Mr Hopeson Adoye as follows: ‘Look, have you seen this document? It is called Agyapadie. Do you see it?
Please capture it well so that everyone can have a look at it. I am not saying anything just from my head. It is alleged that a particular family wrote this Document (Agyapadie). How they can amass the wealth and property of Ghana for themselves, their sons and generations to come. So, whoever wrote the forward or signed the forward has signed Ofori Atta here. Now with the forward, take a look at the first paragraph. It says, ‘ ‘to our future, made up of the present, and the unborn, generations are those whom we are creating this nation’s wealth for. Do you hear that? You have given power to someone to serve you, however, someone has decided to use that power to accumulate the entire wealth of Ghana for his future generations and we are quiet’.
It continued that: ‘We have abandoned it; we have abandoned it. Look, if you go to the banking sector, how Data bank is being utilized to do everything, including all the loans we are taking, is all about one family. For us we are galaway” people. When you speak about it, someone within the NPP will stand up against you to defend this rot. Meanwhile, you will be suffering out there. They say, ‘ ‘to our future, present and unborn’.
Mr Hopeson Adoye is reported to have said in the media that, the Akyems are going to be the movers and shakers of Ghana. That means should anything happen, whatever they say is what everyone must follow.
The document further mentioned how the Akyem people can register and control about 332 mining companies across the length and breadth of Ghana. ‘I mentioned it. D. M. Ofori Atta. It stated that he is a co-writer. He is a friend of mine and I know him. And if you glance at the page that talks about the hijacking of CBC (laughs), it will never work. Now the judiciary governance in Ghana (laughs). It has been stated in here in the document. Let’s pack the court so that in the next twenty years they can be in control. Are you surprised more people are being nominated to the Supreme Court? ‘The writ said.
According to the plaintiff, the document is deliberately littered with the images of the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin and Dr. J. B. Danquah, the insignia of Okyeman and scurrilous references made to the Plaintiff, Ken Ofori – Attah, Nana Asante Bediatuo among others all subjects of Ofori Panin Fie clearly to misrepresent it as emanating from Ofori Panin Fie.
It says that, in their natural and ordinary meaning, the document and especially the commentary and/or amplifications thereon mean and are understood to mean that the Plaintiff authored the document as a scheme to conspire with others to steal, embezzle and covet national assets for their own use and to corrupt state institutions including the judiciary to amass wealth to themselves.
Plaintiff says further that in their natural and ordinary meaning the document and the commentary and/or amplifications thereon also mean and are understood to mean that the Plaintiff, the Ofori Panin Fie and Okyeman are conniving, anti-nationalists, saboteurs, corrupt and abusers of public office, among others.
Plaintiff avers emphatically that he has never authored, co-authored, written, co-written, provided a Foreword or any form of contribution towards the publication of the document, or any other document, containing similar content.
It says that the document, a propagandist piece which did not pass muster, had been in idle circulation for some time and largely ignored, has only now been given life by the 1st Defendant on the 2nd Defendant’s platform and repeated by 1st Defendant and others on other platforms thereafter.
Plaintiff says that the matters contained in the document and amplified by the 1st Defendant on the 2nd Defendant’s platform though grave, are complete fabrications of devious minds and have caused serious harm to the reputation of Plaintiff, members of the Ofori Pan-in Fie and indeed all subjects of Okyeman.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
