Galamsey allegation: Deputy Minister sues chief, Multimedia and Class Media

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has sued the Chief of Dompim-Pepesa, Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, otherwise known as Nathaniel Dekyi, and two media houses; Multimedia Group and Class Media for defaming him. This comes after Nathaniel Dekyi, in an interview with Joy FM, indicated that he has evidence to prove that the MCE together with Member of Parliament for the area and Kobby Okyere Darko Mensah, the Western Regional Minister are all involved in polluting the water bodies with their galamsey activities. “I know not of any company but I know of the very people who are behind the operations of galamsey in my area. First and foremost, the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is involved. "The MP for the area, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Honorable George Mireku-Duker is also involved and the MCE, Benjamin Kessie is also involved. I have told you I am not going to disclose my arsenals to you,” the chief said in the defamatory statements in an interview on Joy FM. A writ of summons sighted by GhanaWeb indicated that Mireku Duker said that the statement made by the chief was false yet had been published by the two media houses. “1st Defendant (Nathaniel Dekyi) is a self-styled chief of the Dompim Pepesa in the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana who has persistently been propagating lies and concocting stories aimed at defaming the Plaintiff with the latest being the use of the medium provided by the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to achieve his contrived objective of defaming the Plaintiff. “2nd (Multimedia Group) and 3rd (Class FM) Defendants are media companies with wide coverage in Accra and other regions of Ghana through affiliate radio stations, 2 and 3 Defendants also hold a strong presence on the worldwide web and other social media platforms where they publish their stories for the consumption of the masses, 2nd and 3rd Defendants allegedly pride themselves in providing their viewers and listeners with truth and claim to back their allegations with facts. “On or about 10 October 2022, on the morning show of Joy FM one of the radio stations owned and run by the 2nd Defendant, the 1st Defendant during an interview was given the platform to broadcast and publish certain words defamatory of Plaintiff. In the said interview the 1st Defendant published the following defamatory words,” parts of the writ of summons read. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: IB/SARA

The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, has sued the Chief of Dompim-Pepesa, Nana Nyonwah Panyin IV, otherwise known as Nathaniel Dekyi, and two media houses; Multimedia Group and Class Media for defaming him. This comes after Nathaniel Dekyi, in an interview with Joy FM, indicated that he has evidence to prove that the MCE together with Member of Parliament for the area and Kobby Okyere Darko Mensah, the Western Regional Minister are all involved in polluting the water bodies with their galamsey activities. “I know not of any company but I know of the very people who are behind the operations of galamsey in my area. First and foremost, the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah is involved. "The MP for the area, Tarkwa Nsuaem, Honorable George Mireku-Duker is also involved and the MCE, Benjamin Kessie is also involved. I have told you I am not going to disclose my arsenals to you,” the chief said in the defamatory statements in an interview on Joy FM. A writ of summons sighted by GhanaWeb indicated that Mireku Duker said that the statement made by the chief was false yet had been published by the two media houses. “1st Defendant (Nathaniel Dekyi) is a self-styled chief of the Dompim Pepesa in the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana who has persistently been propagating lies and concocting stories aimed at defaming the Plaintiff with the latest being the use of the medium provided by the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to achieve his contrived objective of defaming the Plaintiff. “2nd (Multimedia Group) and 3rd (Class FM) Defendants are media companies with wide coverage in Accra and other regions of Ghana through affiliate radio stations, 2 and 3 Defendants also hold a strong presence on the worldwide web and other social media platforms where they publish their stories for the consumption of the masses, 2nd and 3rd Defendants allegedly pride themselves in providing their viewers and listeners with truth and claim to back their allegations with facts. “On or about 10 October 2022, on the morning show of Joy FM one of the radio stations owned and run by the 2nd Defendant, the 1st Defendant during an interview was given the platform to broadcast and publish certain words defamatory of Plaintiff. In the said interview the 1st Defendant published the following defamatory words,” parts of the writ of summons read. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: IB/SARA