The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has sued Asaase Radio and ABC News for defamation.
According to a writ filed at the Accra High Court sighted by Metro TV, the defendants published a story alleging that Mr. Gyamfi had blown party cash on a lavish trip to Miami with his wife, which he claims is false and defamatory.
The story, which was published on June 30, 2024, alleged that Mr. Gyamfi had spent US$42,000 on a two-week trip to Miami, staying at the Betsy Hotel, a 5-star hotel.
Mr. Gyamfi claims that the story was designed to damage his reputation and cause members of his political party and the wider Ghanaian public to shun him.
“The defendants acted maliciously in publishing the said defamatory words which were designed to cause and did in fact cause me profound distress, anxiety, embarrassment, hatred, ridicule, derision, and public odium in Ghana and abroad,” the writ states.
Mr. Gyamfi is seeking a declaration that the story was defamatory, a retraction and apology from the defendants, and an award of general and exemplary damages.
He is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from making any further publication or republication of similar defamatory words.
“The defendants deliberately published the said defamatory statements and caused same to be widely circulated and distributed, knowing very well that same were false and/or with no honest belief in the truthfulness of the claims, in order to whip up public sentiments against me,” Mr. Gyamfi claimed.
The defendants have not yet commented on the matter.
“I have never been to the said Betsy Hotel in Miami, Florida in the United States of America and have never paid or misappropriated US$3000 a day on hotel accommodation or US$42,000 on hotel accommodation over a two-week period from monies allocated to me by my party, as falsely claimed by the defendants,” Mr. Gyamfi said in the writ.
The case is expected to be heard on July 4, 2024.
