Spio- Garbrah Sues Chairman Wontumi...

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, the former trade minister, has sued the Ashanti Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi for defamation.

Wontumi was on Wednesday (20 October) arraigned before the Kumasi Human Rights Court for allegedly making defamatory statements against Dr Spio-Garbrah during a live political show on Wontumi TV.

Dr Spio-Garbrah alleged that during the show back in September 2020, Wontumi called him a “thief”.

The lawyer for the plaintiff, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, explained the reputation of his client has been woefully derailed, thus, prays the court for a compensation of a minimum of US$10 million, which he describes as the value for Dr Spio-Garbrah’s global reputation.

“Dr Spio-Garbrah being a former presidential candidate, he has held global positions, he is a former ambassador of Ghana, he is also a former minister, cabinet minister in different NDC administrations in this country.

“He feels aggrieved, because he has global reputation to protect, and so he has brought this matter, he has put forward that his reputation conservatively is about US$10 million, minimum, so the court should look at the statement, look at the person who is making the statement, look at his reputation and give him justice, and that is all we are asking for,” Addo said.

According to the writ, Wontumi said: “All that Inusah Fuseini is saying is that even him, Inusah Fuseini is a thief. If you mention Spio-Garbrah’s name he is a thief, Sylvester Mensah is a thief, Joshua Alabi is a thief, all their Presidential candidates are thieves so if John Mahama is a thief then let us allow him to continue stealing”.

Dr Spio-Gabrah, in his suit, indicated that the words used on him were uttered without caution by the defendant with the intent to cause damage and injury to his hard-earned global reputation, which he values in excess of ten million dollars.

“The Plaintiff says that the defamatory words were uttered, without caution by the defendant in a malicious manner with the intent to cause damage and injury to the plaintiff’s hard-earned global reputation.”

Meanwhile, the Defendant, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, in his written response to the court insists that he meant no malice but was only interpreting the statement made by Inusah Fuseini.