Former environment minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has been slapped with a defamation suit by a member of President Akufo-Addo’s security team, Edmund Kwadwo Koda, alias Captain Koda.
Captain Koda, via a writ dated June 5, 2023; alleged that the former minister had made defamatory statements about him in a recently leaked report on illegal small-scale mining (i.e. galamsey).
Point 7 of his suit read: “The Defendant alleged that the said report, which contains defamatory words against the plaintiff, was presented to the Presidency sometime in March 2021, and sane was received by the Chief of Staff.”
Captain Koda is seeking among other reliefs, damages to the tune of five million Ghana cedis as well as an apology and retraction of the portions of the report deemed injurious to him.
The suit quoted portions of the said report before proceeding to state how injurious the claims against him were.
The suit read: “In their natural and ordinary meaning, the words complained of meant and were understood to mean that:
a. Plaintiff is a saboteur of the President’s initiatives and policies especially the President’s fight directed at illegal mining,
b. Plaintiff is disloyal to the President and only pretends to have his interests at heart,
c. Plaintiff is against the current government’s fight to combat illegal mining,
d. Plaintiff is an obstruction to the fight against illegal mining,
e. That Plaintiff acts with impunity without recourse to law and authority,
f. That Plaintiff obstructs the discharge of justice in general and particularly in the fight against illegal mining,
g. That Plaintiff is unpatriotic and a traitor.
Reliefs sought:
The Plaintiff claims against the Defendant the following reliefs:
a) Five Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 5,000,000.00) being damages for defamation contained in the report authored by the Defendant dated 19th March, 2023 and more particularized in paragraphs 6 and 9 of this statement of claim.
b) An apology and retraction of the statements complained of particularly as stated in paragraph paragraphs 6 and 9 of the Statement of Claim with the same prominence as the impugned report and its subsequent publications.
c) An order directed at Defendant to cause to be removed from the said report and on all electronic platforms and archives records of the impugned publication against Plaintiff.
d) Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating and/or writing similar or other malicious statements against the Plaintiff in any
e) Cost inclusive of legal fees.
What did Frimpong-Boateng report say about Capt. Koda?
“….About two years ago the attention of the IMCIM’s task force was drawn to a site that had been degraded and the tailings from there were directed in the Birim River near Anyinam.
“The task force impounded two excavators and deposited them at the police station in Anyinam. Frantic telephone calls were received from Capt. Koda of the Presidential security detail, who asked for the excavators to be released.
“He informed the task force that the owner of the concession, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye, the MP for Asene Akroso Manso is his brother.”