Lawyer Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has filed a suit at an Accra High Court against former Environment Minister Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
According to the writ of summons of Mr Otchere-Darko’s suit, Prof Frimpong-Boateng has used words that are defamatory and libelous against his person.
He is, therefore, demanding GH¢10 million in general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation for libel uttered by Prof Frimpong-Boateng.
He is also requesting an apology and a retraction from the respected heart surgeon.
The suit followed a banter between the two over the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report.
Having served as the Committee’s Chairman while the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Frimpong-Boateng on Friday, March 19, 2021 penned his report to the Chief of Staff.
It was after a few months of the dissolution of the Committee.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng cited Mr Otchere-Darko for calling him once to defend a mining firm – Heritage Imperial – owned by one Donald Entsuah.
“What saddened me most was when Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko called to defend a company that was actively destroying the environment, especially the forests and River Offin in the Apaprama and Kobro Forests,” Prof Frimpong-Boateng stated.
But the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawyer member took none of these and explained that he was only working as a legal representative of the firm.
“After listening to the words of Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko,” the cardio surgeon hit back, “I became sad for Ghana.”
“I wondered what happened to us to get to this state, where a person who is supposed to be a lawyer to a mining company exhibited such industrial-scale ignorance about mining laws and regulations.”
It is following this that the suit has been filed by lawyer Otchere-Darko, who is said to be a nephew of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Aside the above, the plaintiff is seeking a perpetual injunction, restraining the defendant whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the plaintiff.
