MCE sues NDC activist for libel

James Atta Kakra Baidoe, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Nzema East in the Western Region, has filed a writ at the Sekondi High Court against an activist of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area, Matthew Kobina Essien, for defamation.

Some supporters of the NDC recently petitioned President John Mahama to remove the MCE from office because he was involved in some alleged corrupt practices.

According to the MCE the various publications about him in the area were defamatory.

He also stated that the allegations had brought his image into disrepute and that he had lost respect in the eyes of the public.

The MCE is therefore praying the court for an order for perpetual injunction directed at the defendant, Matthew Kobina Essien, from further publishing libellous statements about him.

He is also asking the court to order the former Evalue-Gwira constituency organiser of the NDC to retract the publications against him in the same manner they were published and render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff.

This was contained in a statement of claim filed at the court on behalf of the MCE by Bosumtwi-Sam and Associates, lawyers for the plaintiff.

The plaintiff averred that sometime in September 2014, the defendant said on radio that the plaintiff had sold off plots of land and used the proceeds to construct his private residence.

The MCE further averred that Matthew Kobina Essien accused him of extorting money from contractors before or after awarding them contracts.

According to the MCE, the allegations were not only wicked and malicious but equally defamatory.

The MCE indicated in the statement of claim that the defendant habitually made the defamatory remarks on the floor of the Assembly’s meetings to the people and any gathering where he had audience.

He is therefore claiming general damages for defamation against the defendant.

When contacted, the defendant indicated that he had been served with the writ but was yet to contact his lawyers.

It would be recalled that some branch executives of the NDC recently called on President John Mahama to, as a matter of urgency, remove the MCE from office.

The executives, numbering over 200, therefore presented a petition to the President, urging him to consider the removal of the MCE from office.

They stated in the petition that the manner in which the MCE was running the affairs of the municipality had negatively affected the party in the area.

They feared that the alleged attitude of the MCE might subsequently affect the chances of the NDC in the 2016 general elections.

They alleged that the MCE had also been collecting money from illegal miners for his two-storey building which was under construction at Axim.

The petitioners alleged that the MCE had awarded the contract for the construction of a volley ball pitch for Nsein Senior High School in the municipality to his twin brother who had been parading himself as a contractor.

“The MCE has released part of the lands acquired by his predecessor for Axim Sports Complex to individuals and he is a beneficiary,” the petitioners had added.