National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam Constituency Cassiel Ato Baah Forson has filed a defamation suit at an Accra High Court against fellow Central Region lawmaker Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The suit, filed on Tuesday, October 27, also joins Kencity Media Ghana Limited as a second defendant.
It has to do with allegations by the Assin Central MP that Mr Forson has been named in a plot to assassinate the MP for Agona West Constituency, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, who is also Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Some four well-built men were rounded up by the police last week in a hotel in Swedru.
Upon preliminary interrogations, the suspects admitted being engaged by the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Agona West Constituency, Paul Ofori Amoah, to have the incumbent MP, Madam Morrison, killed.
The Parliamentary Candidate has since been arrested and charged by the police.
This comes barely three weeks after another Central Region MP, Ekow Kwansah Hayford, who represented Mfantseman Constituency, was gruesomely murdered by suspected armed robbers.
Commenting on the issue on his Net 2 TV on Monday, October 26, Mr Agyapong also mentioned Mr Forson, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, as one of the persons named by the four suspects as behind the plot.
But this seems not to have gone down well with Mr Forson, who has filed the suit at the Court.
He said the comments by Mr Agyapong has “brought his hard-won reputation into hatred, ridicule, odium, discredit, contempt, opprobrium and reproach…”
For him, the comments will cause right-thinking members of the society to question his integrity, especially as a Member of Parliament and a former government official.
“The defamatory words were uttered, broadcast and published by the Defendants recklessly and not caring about the irreparable damage that will be caused to the reputation of the Plaintiff.
“The defamatory words were uttered, broadcast or publicised without caution in a malicious manner with intent to cause damage and injury to the Plaintiff’s hard-earned reputation,” Mr Forson said his Statement of Claim.
Among other things, he wants the court to order the Kencity Media to pay GH¢500,000 in general damages to him.
He also wants Ken Agyapong to be ordered by the court to pay GH¢300,000 in general damages and an additional GH¢600,000 to be paid by both defendants as a punitive measure.
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana