Defamation suit: Court erred and I’ll appeal miscarriage of justice — Gyamfi
The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, who has been slapped with GH¢500,000 damages after losing a defamation case against the Minister of Energy, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has vowed to appeal the case.
The High Court in Accra on Thursday, October 13, 2022, presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah, delivered the judgment and found that Sammy Gyamfi defamed Dr. Opoku Prempeh, who doubles as the lawmaker for Manhyia South when Sammy Gyamfi addressing the press in June 2019, stated that Seidu Yakubu Mba, suspected of being involved in the kidnapping of the 2 Canadian girls in the year 2019, is the errand boy of the Energy Minister.
After awarding the damages, the court also ordered him to publish a retraction and an apology.
But Sammy Gyamfi said the press conference was to debunk allegations by some elements in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the said kidnapping incident was masterminded by the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, adding that the specific comment that constituted the basis for the suit was my assertion that contrary to the above allegation, the ring leader of the kidnappers, one Seidu Mba was “alleged to be the errand boy of Matthew Opoku-Prempeh.”
He was of the view that the honourable 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 the plaintiff and was in his company when he (DW1) was attacked in Manhyia sometime in 2012, constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice.
He indicated that he was determined to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
