Baba Jamal sues Wontumi for defamation

Member of the National Democratic Congress and former Member of Parliament for Akwatia, Baba Jamal has initiated a suit against the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako known popularly as Chairman Wontumi and Accra-based UTV following an allegation that he is involved in illegal mining.

In Baba Jamal’s statement of claim, he also wants a declaration by the High Court that the allegations on Friday, April 28, 2017, by Bernard Antwi-Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi) that he (Mr Jamal) was deeply involved in galamsey in the Eastern Region were libelous.

The former MP wants the court to cause Chairman Wontumi and managers of UTV to pay GH?2 million in damages for defaming his person on a live TV.

The former MP also wants “an order that Defendants publish a retraction or an unqualified apology for the effective publication by [UTV] and other print and electronic media with equal prominence”.

Baba Jamal’s suit comes in days after the Ashanti regional chairman of the NPP alledged on National TV that the former legislator is deeply involved in the illegal mining which is currently been tackled head on by the new government.

He describes Mr Antwi-Boasiako’s claims as “reckless, malicious and intended to and did, in fact, expose him to public ridicule, disdain, and opprobrium and tend to lower his hard-won reputation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society locally and internationally”.

UTV is joined to the suit because according to the aggrieved former National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP, while Chairman Wontumi was making the false allegations, his photograph and that of other individuals mentioned was “vividly displayed and made to accompany the story” by the TV station.

But Mr Antwi-Boasiako has said he stands by his claim and is looking forward to proving his case in court.