Daily Post Editor In Trouble For ‘Defamatory’ Publication Against George Andah
Lawyers for Deputy Communications Minister, George Andah, have threatened to begin a defamation suit against Editor of the Daily Post newspaper, Michael Dokosi.
Legal firm, Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah, acting on behalf of the Awutu Senya West MP has said in a letter dated January 15, 2018 that contents of a publication dated October 27, 2017, and headed "George Andah Causes Financial Loss To The State,” have gravely injured the reputation of the legislator.
Some of the claims made in the pro-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) newspaper, according to the law firm, include: “a. George Andah Causes Financial to the State-negotiated for the useless $2. Sm GhanaPost GPS app with VOKACOM” and “b. Deputy Minister for Communications, Hon. George Andah-has a lot of questions to answer regarding the procurement of the GhanaPost GPS app.”
“These claims are untrue and grossly defamatory of our client and have caused serious harm to our client's reputation both in Ghana and abroad.
"As a successful marketing personality having worked with several multinational companies, a member of parliament, a deputy minister of the Republic and an anti-corruption campaigner, these defamatory statements have seriously injured his character and reputation, and have exposed him to public scandal, odium and contempt,” a letter addressed to Mr Dokosi by the law firm indicated.
The letter, signed by Lawyer, Ace Ankomah, has asked Michael Dokosi to “publish a full and unqualified apology to our client and a retraction of the statements outlined above which was published in the 27th October 2017 edition of the Daily Post.”
Gavel Law Book
The letter is published below.
We act for Nenyi George Andah and write in relation to an article published in Volume 8 Issue No.2052 of the Daily Post newspaper and of which you are the editor. You are also the sole proprietor of Giraffe Publications, which publishes the Daily Post newspaper. The publication was dated 27th October 2017 and headed "George Andah Causes Financial Loss To The State." After this defamatory headline, you published other defamatory words on the front page and page 6 of that edition of the newspaper.
Particulars of Defamation
a. George Andah Causes Financial to the State-negotiated for the useless $2. Sm GhanaPost GPS app with VOKACOM
b. Deputy Minister for Communications, Hon. George Andah-has a lot of questions to answer regarding the procurement of the GhanaPost GPS app
c. If the so-called Special Prosecutors office ever comes into being, one of the persons who would surely appear before it is the Deputy Communication Minister, Hon George Andah in the matter of the $2. 5million Ghana Post GPS app meant for the National Digital Address System
d. Intel picked up by the Daily Post indicates the Deputy Communication Minister, who is also MP for Awutu Senya West, was the one who negotiated the price for the procurement of the app which some experts in the industry say can never cost $2.5million!
e. The amount negotiated for by George Andah is said to have raised eyebrows in certain quarters in government while whisperings of how huge chunks of the monies found their ways into private pockets are making rounds!
f. Some in the corridors of power are said to be very angry with the communication Minister over the amount paid to VOKACOM for the app
g. Why Ghana has to spend so much on the app is left to Hon. George Andah to explain. Intel available to this paper reveals whole deal is a scam, a clandestine create, loot and share operation. A can of worms is about to be opened in this matter! More Anon
These claims are untrue and grossly defamatory of our client, and have caused serious harm to our client's reputation both in Ghana and abroad. As a successful marketing personality having worked with several multinational companies, a member of parliament, a deputy minister of the Republic and an anti-corruption campaigner, these defamatory statements have seriously injured his character and reputation, and have exposed him to public scandal, odium and contempt.
You did not, in making this publication, take any reasonable steps to or make any reasonable attempt to contact him on the story so as to ascertain his version or rebuttal and that the refusal, failure and/or neglect to do so was actuated by your gross malice and towards our client.
In the circumstances, we require you to agree to the following:
1. To publish a full and unqualified apology to our client and a retraction of the statements outlined above which was published in the 27th October 2017 edition of the Daily Post;
2. To give the apology and retraction the same prominence as the defamatory statements;
3. To publish your retraction and apology not later than three (3) days of receipt of this letter; and
4. To provide your written undertaking not to publish any further defamatory statements about our client.
We require your agreement to the matters as set out above at your earliest convenience and in any event, by no later than within 7 days of the date of this letter. Our client reserves all his rights.
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