“Galamsey Kingpin” Tag Lands Ken Agyapong In Trouble…As Baako Slaps Him With GH₵25m Suit
Editor-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has slapped the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, with a GH₵25million defamation suit.
The seasoned journalist is praying the court to grant him reliefs including general damages for libel against Mr Agyapong.
In his statement of claim, Kweku Baako avers that, on July 18, 2018 and several occasions thereafter, Mr Agyapong on Oman FM, Net 2 TV, Adom FM and Asempa FM, made statements against his person which he (Baako) considers defamatory as part of the fallout in the investigative piece on Ghana Football titled “Number 12; when corruption and greed become the norm.”
According to him, Mr. Agyapong failed to provide facts to back his claims even when he was told to by the various host of these programmes.
Mr Agyapong’s assertions have affected his image and reputation in the eyes of “right-thinking” members of the society, he added.
“He has reduced my envied reputation into dishonour, contempt, and reproach on the basis of the above mentioned unfounded and destructive comments of the plaintiff.”
He is, therefore, asking the court to “order Mr Agyapong to retract his comments and render an unqualified apology to him”.
He is also asking the court to place “a perpetual injunction restraining Mr Agyapong, his agents, assigns and servants from further publishing any defamatory words” against him.
Mr Baako in the writ of summons also stated that the defendant on a talk show (Adom Badwam) on Adom FM on 24 July 2018, with host Omanhene Kwabena Asante, when one of the panelists suggested to the defendant that the plaintiff is very loyal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and a best friend to the president, the defendant referring to him [Kweku Baako] said: “You don’t know the guy very well. Best of friends because of what he can get…You don’t know the guy very well”.
On the same show, the defendant is also alleged to have described Mr Baako as a “hypocrite” adding that “Kweku Baako is not an honest man at all”.
The plaintiff avers the defendant further made the following disparaging statement against him on the same show: “I said he is not a saint. Kweku Baako is not a saint. He is evil … very evil man … he’s a very evil man”.
Mr Agyepong has eight days within which to respond to the suit filed on October 16, 2018.
The outspoken NPP MP accused the veteran journalist of owning and covertly operating a small-scale mining firm.
Kennedy Agyapong, who has waged a bruising campaign against Kweku Baako and his mentee, Anas Aremayaw Anas claimed on his television station, Net 2 that the latter runs a mining firm.
He insists Mr Baako’s abrasive posturing and strong condemnation of illegal miners in media discussions are ostentatious as he is neck-deep in the practice.
“I have digged Kweku Baako and his boy (referring to Anas) very well. I have documents to suggest that he owns a mining company call C&G and he has been managing this company for years.
“He should be very careful because I have lots of information about him. He preaches virtue and practices vice,” the Assin Central Member of Parliament retorted.
Mr Agyapong alleged that Mr Baako’s C&G mining company operates in the Western Region of the country and regularly indulges in illegal prospecting of gold, which is popularly known as “galamsey”.
Source : Peacefmonline
