The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has filed a defamation suit against GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited, demanding GH¢15 million in compensation.
The legal action follows comments allegedly made by Sammy Gyamfi during the August 22 edition of JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, where he described Afenyo-Markin as an “extortionist” during a discussion concerning GoldBod and reported losses linked to the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
According to the statement of claim, Afenyo-Markin denies ever engaging in extortion and argues that the allegation has damaged his reputation as a lawyer and senior political figure. He further claims that the remarks created the impression that he had used his political position to improperly pressure public institutions and officials.
The Effutu MP is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, alongside GH¢15 million in compensation. He is also asking the court to order Sammy Gyamfi and Multimedia Group to issue a full retraction and public apology with similar prominence and reach as the original comments.
Afenyo-Markin is additionally seeking a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory statements or words with substantially similar meaning. The case has been filed at the High Court in Accra and will now proceed through the judicial process, where the parties will have the opportunity to present their respective positions.
