Attorney Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has filed a lawsuit against the former environment minister Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng in the Accra High Court.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng allegedly used remarks against Mr. Otchere-Darko that are defamatory and libelous, according to the summons issued in his lawsuit.
Therefore, he is seeking GHC 10 million in general damages as well as enhanced and/or special damages for Prof. Frimpong-Boateng's libel.
He is also asking the renowned heart surgeon to retract his statement and provide an apology.
Following teasing between the two regarding the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report, the lawsuit was filed.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who presided over the committee in the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation's absence, submitted his report to the Chief of Staff on Friday, March 19, 2021.
It happened a few months after the committee was dissolved.
Mr. Otchere-Darko was noted by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng for calling him once to support Heritage Imperial, a mining company controlled by Donald Entsuah.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said, “What saddened me most was when Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko called to defend a corporation that was aggressively harming the environment, particularly the woods and River Offin in the Apaprama and Kobro woods.”
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawyer member didn't accept any of these, explaining that he was merely acting in his capacity as the company's legal representative.
The cardiothoracic surgeon said, “After hearing Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko's words, I became sad for Ghana.”
“I questioned what had happened to us to get to this state, where a person who is supposed to be a lawyer for a mining company exhibited such industrial-scale ignorance about mining laws and regulations,” said the man.
Following this, attorney Otchere-Darko, who is reportedly the nephew of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, filed the lawsuit.
In addition to the aforementioned, the plaintiff is asking for a perpetual injunction to prevent the defendant—whether acting on his own behalf or through agents, employees, or assigns—from using similar or other disparaging language against the plaintiff.
