Mr Albert Kan Dapaah, the Minister of National Security, has filed a lawsuit against Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, the convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement. The Minister said Mr Barker-Vormawor had alleged that the National Security and other government officials met him in 2021 and offered him money to supposedly silence him. Barker-Vormawor made the allegations after he and other members were released by the Police after they were arrested on September 22, 2023, for staging a demonstration in Accra in breach of a restraining order secured by the Police. Mr Kan Dapaah in his suit is among other things asking the court to declare that the words uttered by Barker-Vormawor were defamatory. The Minister was also demanding the ‘recovery of the sum of GHC10 million as general damages including aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for defamation for the words uttered by defendant.’ He also demanded an apology and retraction of the words complained of as well as ‘a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the plaintiff.’ He said beyond the brief telephone conversation on the phone of the Officer and the second meeting, plaintiff had never had any other interaction with defendant. The Minister said by reason of the foregoing, plaintiff had been greatly injured in his credit, character and reputation, and had been brought into public scandal, ridicule, distress and embarrassment and has thereby suffered damage. Notwithstanding plaintiff’s denial of defendant’s vile defamatory statements, defendant is persisting in this totally fabricated story to continue to tarnish plaintiff’s reputation. The plaintiff said the defamatory words made against him by the defendant were treacherous falsehoods. The plaintiff said he would rely on the following matters in support of a claim for aggravated and/or exemplary damages. He said the defendant had no basis for his defamatory statements and was reckless by them, as he showed no evidence to support them. The Minister said he had never had any other meeting with the defendant beyond the aforementioned second meeting whether alone or in concert with others. He said words ‘set out supra in their natural and ordinary meaning meant and were understood to mean inter alia; which meant that he was corrupt, undertakes the criminal acts of offering bribes and threats and abuses his office.’ Notwithstanding the fact that he had made it clear to defendant that the statements were false, the defendant had not offered him any apology or retraction. It is to be inferred that the defendant had failed to do so because he was indifferent to the truth and is simply reckless and malicious. The plaintiff contended that unless restrained by the Court, defendant would not retract and apologize for the defamatory words and would continue to publish or cause to be published same or similar defamatory words concerning the plaintiff. The defendant said they went as far as offering them US$1 Million, they offered them a Committee Appointment, set up a Committee and appoint us to Government positions in order to stop this activism. Mr Barker-Vormawor said the offer was made directly to him and other leaders of Fix the Country Movement. Mr Barker-Vormawor had claimed that he was offered an enticing amount of $1 million and other juicy positions in government in order to stop this activism which was supposedly painting the Government black The activist had insisted that he had evidence to his claim, but he is yet to make the files public.
Source: Ghana News Agency