Nana Obiri Boahen, Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says 25 ‘stolen’ state vehicles have been retrieved from former officials of the Mahama administration as well as some members and sympathizers of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He said contrary to claims by the NDC that the government was just groping over some alleged 208 missing state vehicles so as to witch-hunt officials of the previous government, over two dozens of such state vehicles had been found and repossessed.
Nana Obiri Boahen told Accra-based Asempa FM yesterday that Kwame Baffoe, alias Abronye DC, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer of the NPP, who has been spearheading the retrieval of the cars, has details of all the recovered vehicles.
Kofi Adams Sues
Meanwhile, Kofi Adams, national organiser of the NDC, has dragged Nana Obiri Boahen, Abronye and David Asante, a member of the NPP communication team, before an Accra high court over allegations that he had stolen state vehicles.
Five vehicles, including Toyota Land Cruisers and pickups – reportedly belonging to the state – were seized over allegations that some officials of the Mahama-led government were in possession of the state assets.
Although the cars were later returned, the plaintiff says he was defamed when the defendants on various media platforms accused him of theft.
Statement Of Case
In a writ filed at the court yesterday by his lawyer, Samson Lardi Ayenini, the NDC organizer averred that the five vehicles which were removed from his Golf City residence in Tema on February 1, 2017 without recourse to lawful authority and due process by a group led by Abronye, acting with impunity, engaged in unconstitutional conduct, criminal trespass and egregious violation of his (plaintiff’s) guaranteed rights to privacy and property.
He said the defendants soon after the act, “variously publicly, recklessly and deliberately made false and malicious defamatory comments” about him asserting among others that he stole; has bought stolen vehicles and changed chassis number of the said vehicles to cover the alleged criminal conduct.
Mr. Ayenini stated that the defendants uttered and repeated their defamatory comments on many radio and television stations in the country, spreading their defamatory comments to the millions of citizens and people abroad and same received extensive publication in newspapers and all online news portals in Ghana.
Mr. Adams’ lawyer argued that the defendants persisted in spreading their defamatory comments, even after Albert Kan Dapaah, the Minster for National Security, had denounced the seizure, ordering them to return the said vehicles and apologized to the plaintiff, promising to discipline the said group led by Abronye.
The plaintiff further claimed that the NPP scribe and Abronye had continued in their mission to cause maximum damage to his reputation, even after the police who wrongfully and unlawfully detained the said vehicles which had been brought to their premises on the instructions of Adams while they were being returned to his home, had conducted investigations at various agencies, including DVLA, Customs and the GRA and confirmed that the said vehicles did not belong to the state.
Mr. Ayenini argued that the allegations by the defendants meant that, and were naturally and ordinarily understood by right-thinking members of the society to mean that the plaintiff was a dishonest person and a forger who had engaged in or colluded with some others of said characterization to perpetrate fraud against the state.
The lawyer again claimed that the defendants per their utterances, meant to suggest that Mr. Adams “was a criminal who had been caught committing the crime of stealing or doing so with certain collaborators of his characterization.”
Reliefs
As a result, the NDC national organizer, aside aggravated or exemplary damages for the malicious defamation, is demanding GH¢1 million as compensatory damages each for injury to his character and integrity.
Mr. Adams also seeks costs, including legal fee as well as general damages for the defamation.
But Nana Obiri Boahen, who claims he’s yet to receive the writ, expressed his readiness for the legal tussle.
“I’m very ready any day to contest this case in court. As a seasoned lawyer, I don’t fear lawsuits and going to court. I’m yet to receive the writ and so I don’t want to run commentary on the matter. I’m in Sunyani throughout the week resting, I’ll be in Accra next week. When I come, the bailiff can call me on phone and tell me wherever he is, I’ll go and meet him and receive the writ.”
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