Gabby Sues Prof. Frimpong-Boateng Over Galamsey Report
A Lawyer and member of the New Patriotic Party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has sued former Environment Minister, Prof Kwabena Frimpong Boateng following allegations the latter made against the former in the Galamsey report authored in 2021.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng in the galamsey report accused Mr. Otchere-Darko of interfering in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) which he (Prof. Frimpong-Boateng) chaired.
In a legal suit filed at the High Court, Mr. Otchere-Darko is demanding a sum of GH¢10,000,000 from the former minister in damages.
A libel suit filed by Gabby against Prof. Frimpong-Boateng accuses the latter of defamation in his controversial report on activities of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, and apart from “The sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHC10,000,000.00) as General Damages including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for Defamation for libel”, Gabby also wants him to apologize for and retract his words.
He also asks for an order for a perpetual injunction to restrain Prof Frimpong-Boateng, “whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words” against him (Gabby).
It’s been a fortnight since the report which details the fight against illegal mining in the country, authored by Prof Frimpong-Boateng, leaked.
Persons cited by the report to have played various roles to frustrate the work of the presidential committee, have all denied wrongdoing and have challenged the author to provide evidence. Gabby is the first to have sued Prof. Frimpong-Boateng for alleged defamation.
Click on the link below to read the writ by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko
Background
Professor Frimpong-Boateng argued that, at the time, there was a suspension on the issuance of licenses for operation in forest reserves, but Mr. Otchere-Darko jumped to the defense of a company that was said to be actively destroying the environment.
Mr. Otchere-Darko in an exclusive interview with Citi TV/Citi FM’s Vivian Kai Lokko said the former Minister’s accusations are a wrongful twist of facts for reasons best known to him.
Lead partner at Africa Legal Associates added that he did no wrong in defending a company cited in the bombshell report.
“Their jobs [clients] were being frustrated, and I had before me all the documents they were required to have. They were doing legitimate mining, and they were frustrated. That is why I placed the call to understand why that was happening to them. I’m very disappointed in the former Minister deliberately twisting an inquiry by a lawyer of a client’s issue to be an interference,” he indicated.
Responding to Mr. Otchere-Darko in a statement, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the claims he made in the interview are laughable.
“Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko, it is laughable that you claim to have called me to seek information on your client. If you needed any information, you could have called the Minerals Commission. You know I did not operate mining information services”.
He also accused Mr. Otchere-Darko of having a pixelated view of the illegal mining landscape in Ghana.
“Going over the videos and pictures depicting the monumental environmental degradation in the areas of operation of Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko’s clients, and seeing his ignorance, I am no longer surprised that Mr. Gabby Otchere-Darko has such a pixelated view of the illegal mining landscape in Ghana”.