Retraction of defamatory statement and apology to Alexander Afenyo-Markin

Background

On March 20, 2020, Alexander Afenyo-Markin brought a case of defamation against me (James Kofi Annan) in the Winneba District Court. I had then alluded in a press statement that I suspected him (Alexander Afenyo-Markin) that he was behind a scheme of GHC100,000 that was maliciously deposited into my bank account to incriminate me.

The import of his (Alexander Afenyo-Markin's) case was that, by authoring the said statement, I had defamed him in the minds of right-thinking people.

On August 28, 2020, the Winneba District Court presided over by His Worship Isaac Oheneba Kuffuor, (as he then was) entered a judgment in favor of Alexander Afenyo-Markin. In the view of the court, the statement I made was defamatory of Alexander Afenyo-Markin. The court subsequently made the following orders:

That I should publish on JOY TV, ADOM TV, UTV, and relevant online media portals a retraction of the publication, and to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff.

That I should pay damages and costs of GH¢ 25,000.

In fulfilment of the above order 1, I wrote to the media houses involved, to publish retraction and apology. Unfortunately, only one media house carried the apology and instruction.

In the meantime I have already paid the damages and cost in full to the plaintiff in fulfilment of the above order 2.

Subsequently, Alexander Afenyo-Markin brought an application to the Winneba High Court, asking the court to commit me to prison for failing to carry out the orders of the court. The Winneba High Court on Tuesday May 17, 2023, gave orders that I render unqualified apology to Alexander Afenyo-Markin within eight days.

Now the unqualified apology and retraction

To further demonstrate my commitment and respect for the orders of the High Court, Winneba dated May 17, 2023, and to show sincerity in my apology and retraction, I hereby submit for the publication on your network, a retraction of the full statement, and an apology, in the following
terms;

I James Kofi Annan state that the statement I authored, which you published on
March 17, 2020 on your network was without basis;

That the statement I made, that I suspected him, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in a
GHC100,000 scheme to incriminate me, as mentioned in the said press statement, had no evidence whatsoever, and that I had no reason to make those comments;

That I should never have made that statement about Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

That I sincerely render an unqualified apology to Alexander Afenyo-Markin for any inconvenience the said statement I authored may have caused his person and or his reputation or his associates.

That I retract the statement I made in its entirety without any reservation.

That the above retraction and apology is made by me without any reservation.