Tamale South NDC asks newspapers to substantiate assassination story

Accra, May 17, GNA - The Tamale South Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Thursday asked newspapers which published claims of an assassination plot on their Member of Parliament, Mr Iddrisu Haruna, to substantiate the story.

"As a mater of urgency, we demand that the publishers support their claim with substantial evidence, since the matter at stake touches on the personal security of Honourable Iddrisu Haruna and the integrity of some minority members of parliament a well as the image of the NDC," the Constituency said in a statement received in Accra. "Anything short of this can only point to an attempt to divert the public's attention from the failure of the ruling party to address the energy crisis and sow seeds of mistrust within the NDC," it said. The Constituency said it was also expressing reservations at attempts being made to paint Mr Haruna as a "mole and paid agent" of the New Patriotic Party.

"This attempt is not only baseless and unfounded but also a calculated attempt to dent the hard won reputation of Honourable Iddrisu Haruna."

The statement said the constituency executive committee, branch executives and the Tamale South Constituency affirmed their "absolute confidence" in the MP as their representative. "We also wish to urge the rank and file of the NDC who recognise the enormous and strategic role and contribution of Honourable Haruna to continue with their unflinching support and prayer for the Honourable member and the NDC as a whole,"

Two NDC Members of Parliament have sued Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Editor-in-Chief of the Statesman, Adom FM and Multi Media Broadcasting Company for libel claiming one billion cedis in damages. In a suit filed at the Accra High Court on May 16, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, MP for Ningo/Prampram and Mr Doe Adjaho, MP for Ave Avenor are seeking "perpetual injunction restraining the defendants together and each and every one of them with their agents, assigns and servants from further publishing or cause to be published the said or similar words. The plaintiffs are also seeking a retraction of the said defamatory statements of the defendants with an equal prominence with which the original defamatory statements were made. The suit was filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by Bram-Larbi, Beecham and co.

The suit stems from an alleged assassination plot against Mr Haruna Iddrisu, NDC Member of Parliament for Tamale South, which was published in newspapers last week.

The plaintiffs are complaining about alleged statements that Mr Otchere-Darko made on an Adom FM programme "Dwaso Nsem" on the alleged assassination plot.

The plaintiffs noted that conspiracy is a crime under Ghanaian law "with devastating dire consequences" and said the publication and statements were "calculated to cause hatred, disparage, ridicule and injure the plaintiffs' hard earned reputation and that of their families".

"In consequence the plaintiffs' reputation, both personal and as politicians and public officers, has been seriously injured and they have suffered considerable distress and embarrassment as a result of the said publication," the suit said. 17 May 07