Chief Of Staff Sues Minority Leader for slander

The Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi- Lamptey, has filed a writ at the Accra High Court, claiming aggravated damages from Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader in Parliament for slander, reports the Daily Graphic.

The court action follows certain statements attributed to the Minority leader in connection with the renovation of the Osu Castle, which the Chief of Staff claims have brought his name into public scandal, odium and contempt. Mr Bagbin is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli North in the Upper West Region.

A statement of claim, filed on behalf of Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey by M.A.F. Ribeiro and Associates an Accra legal firm, said it was reported in the Daily Graphic of April 23, 2001 that the defendant who was addressing a meeting of the Wa Central Constituency of the NDC made it known that the government had awarded a ?1.9 billion contract for the renovation of the Castle to an unregistered company owned by Mr Obetsebi- Lamptey, without passing it through tender.

The statement said upon the publication, the plaintiff vehemently protested to the perceived slanderer and libelers and as a result, the Ghana News Agency and the Daily Graphic both retracted the stories and apologized on April 30 and May 4 respectively.

It said in a letter issued by his solicitor on his instructions the defendant rejected and denied the allegations as factually and contextually incorrect and maintained that he had spoken in Dagaari and might have been misunderstood and misrepresented.

It said based on this, Mr Bagbin did not offer an apology.

According to the statement, on May 3, 2001, the defendant was interviewed on JOY FM's 'Ghana Speaks' programme during which he slandered the plaintiff by saying that "the government awarded the contract for the renovation and refurbishment of the Castle to a company affiliated to Lintas and Jake was at one time the managing director of Lintas and that the contract sum was ?1.9 billion. Jake has an interest in the company, that is, he is a shareholder".

It said the words complained of are not true and were calculated to, and they did, disparage the plaintiff in the eyes of his ministerial colleagues and the Ghanaian public at large.