Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has labeled allegations of his involvement in illegal mining, locally called galamsey, as an outright nonsense.
Kweku Baako challenged any person who has evidence he is into galamsey to boldly and publicly show it.
He threw the challenge during a panel discussion on Peace FM's Wednesday edition of 'Kokrokoo'.
Kweku Baako's defamation suit
Kweku Baako filed a defamatory suit with the Accra High Court on Tuesday October 16, 2018, against the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
He sued the maverick Parliamentarian following the latter's accusations that he (Kweku Baako) and his prodigy Anas Aremeyaw Anas were involved in illegal mining and other criminal activities.
In his statement of claim, Mr. Baako stated that Hon. Kennedy Agyapong on several occasions published defamatory statements against him on Oman FM, Net 2 TV, Adom FM and Asempa FM.
He further noted that Mr Agyapong’s defamation has affected his image and reputation in the eyes of “right-thinking” members of the society and therefore prayed the court to order him to retract his comments and render an unqualified apology to him.
Kweku Baako also sought reliefs in sum of GH?25million against the Assin Central MP and asked the court to also place a perpetual injunction restraining Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, his agents, assigns and servants from making further defamatory remarks against him.
Galamsey Nonsense
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, Kweku Baako refuted claims that he is into galamsey business.
He further explained where those accusations are emanating from saying, during the undercover job by Anas Aremeyaw Anas to expose illegal mining activities in Ghana, the people caught on tape turned themselves into ''whistle-blowers'' spewing lies about him and Anas in order to derail their exposé.
Mr. Baako stated emphatically that any person can search heaven and hell but won't find an iota of evidence to pin him to illegal mining.
He has therefore warned people to desist from making statements to link him to galamsey, stressing he will take legal action to protect his integrity and reputation.
"I'm not involved in galamsey. I've never been involved in galamsey and I will never be involved. So, you can search the whole world, hell and heaven; you won't find an iota of evidence against me on that score. It doesn't exist," he stated emphatically.
Court Ruling On Defamation Suit
Mr. Baako won his case as the Accra High Court ordered Hon. Kennedy Agyapong to retract and apologize three times using the same channels he made the defamatory statements.
The court has given Mr. Agyapong 30 days to render the apology and also charged him a sum of GH?100,000 and GH?30,000 as cost of legal expenses to be paid to Mr. Baako instead of the initial GH?25million he sought in reliefs including general damages.
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