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Years on after mudslinging attempts to defame the former Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana, Tafo in the Eastern Region, Dr. Frank Amoah, over frivolous accusations among others, that he had stolen some fertilizers meant for sharing among cocoa farmers in the Eastern Region, Giraffe Publications , Publishers of the Daily Post Newspaper has apologized and retracted the story.

The paper, in May and June 2014 consecutively reported without verifications that Dr. Frank Amoah had stolen woods from the CRIG plantation and fertilizers meant for farmers in the area, and for fear of being exposed had used his executive powers to aid transfer of the whistle blower (a certain Wahab Amadu) to the Wantram Plantation in the Western Region.

The paper also reported that Dr. Frank Amoah’s negligence had caused the death of a certain mentally derailed man; who committed suicide in a bore hole at the CRIG premises.

However, scouts from your authoritative New Crusading GUIDE decided to probe into the story, and as result came up with findings that the publications were false and misleading.

Wahab Amadu, was among several other staffs that were transferred to aid progress in the Wantram Plantation, a subsidiary of CRIG in the Western Region, and because he felt he did not deserve to have been transferred, opted to fight his way back through the media; by creating falsehoods against his boss.

To attract the attention of big wigs in the ruling government Wahab Amadu styled himself as an activist of the NDC and further engaged the Daily Post Newspaper to help him fight his course.

Readers will recall from a publication in this paper on Wednesday 4th June, 2014, under the caption “PLOT TO DEFAME CRIG BOSS BACKFIRES…AS NDC EXECUTIVES ISSUE DISCLAIMER ON SELF-STYLED PARTY ACTIVIST”, where it reported among other things that Executive members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the area, had issued a press statement to dissociate itself from the allegations spewed by the whistle blower.

Setting the records straight, the executives said “we don’t know him as a member of our party, during the 2012 elections he was only among the few boys who rooted to vote ‘skirt and blouse’ , they campaigned for Victor Smith of the NDC parliamentary, and Nana Addo for the presidential slot for NPP”.

The Daily Post Newspaper after it realized its misleading publications, on 7th April this year has apologized to Dr. Frank Amoah, saying “it withdraws all statements of fact constituting the words complained of and particularized regarding DR. Franklin Manu Amoah in the publications of 15th, 16, 20th 21st, 23rd, and 30th May 2014 and June 16th 2014, and retracts those portions of the stories and apologizes to Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah , Head of Cocoa Research Institute, Tafo for any inconvenience caused”.

Lawyer for the former CRIG Boss, Emmanuel Darkwa (Esquire) said the retraction came after they had headed for court to seek redress against the Newspaper and its publishers.

He said they agreed with the Newspaper and its publisher “not to repeat the words complained of and particularized in the statement of claim regarding the plaintiff relative to the stories”, and that they also apologized and retracted the portion of the stories in dispute referring to the plaintiff in two separate front page publications.

According to the counsel, the defendants agreed to withdraw all statements of fact regarding his client, constituting the words complained of and particularized in their statement of claim, whiles they (plaintiff and lawyer) also agreed to relinquish and waive all claims and reliefs against the 1st and the 2nd defendants in respect of the suit and cause of action.