The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako has been sued by businessman Ibrahim Mahama for defamation.
Mr. Mahama, who is the founder of Engineers and Planners, is seeking damages of GHS5 million after Mr. Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, purportedly claimed that he made his wealth from unlawful means.
Chairman Wontumi allegedly suggested that the businessman benefitted from stolen state funds when his brother, John Mahama, was President.
In the writ, Mr. Mahama quotes Chairman Wontumi, who was speaking on Wontumi TV, as saying:
“He has bought a car, it is said he has bought a car for Hajia for Real. Then he has bought a house and given it to her in addition, then he has snatched Kenpong’s girl. Because the money that [he has], it was when we just came into power, that his brother went and stole money for him. Do you understand?”
Mr. Mahama says he read the comments to mean he is “in possession of stolen wealth or money… tainted with stealing.”
He is thus seeking an unqualified apology and “retraction of the said [defamatory] statements within seven days of judgement.”
Mr. Mahama stressed that the comments were “palpable lies made without justification and is or was actuated by malice, disdain and ill-will.”
The editor of daillymailgh.com, Kenneth Mensah, has also been sued and is facing the same defamation claims.
Kenneth Mensah published Chairman Wontumi’s comments on his website.
Mr. Mahama noted a lack of remorse from the defendants in the case saying they “have not made any attempt to apologise or to even pull down the malicious publications.”
