Chronicle accuses Dep. Minister of demolishing Dubai Embassy
Deputy Finance Minister heads to court
A Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, has sued the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako; the newspaper, and a journalist for linking her to the demolition of a building at Roman Ridge.
She indicated that in October 2021, a story was published with the headline, ‘Dubai Embassy demolishing spree, Minister and husband fingered.’
According to myjoyonline report, the information available indicates that when the “newspaper first broke the same story on October 18, 2021, an attempt was made to associate the former President, John Dramani Mahama, with the said demolition”.
This was through allegations that the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly demolished the property because the land belongs to the former president.
The newspaper allegedly published the same story again on April 4, 2022.
Myjoyonline.com revealed that the land in question was granted in favor of the owner in 2015 by a High Court, against three persons namely, Adjei Darko, Francis Don Lartey, and Alhaji Adams.
The plaintiff, Frank Nuamah, was put in possession of the property when the court went into execution in May 2016.
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An attempt by one of the defendants in the case, Alhaji Adams, to have the judgment set aside was shot down by the High Court in a judgment by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe in November 2020.
Subsequently, the demolition was done by the owner, who has been in possession of the property since May 2016 and has no relation to the Deputy Minister.
Abena Osei-Asare is therefore demanding damages for defamation and a retraction and apology from the publishers.
In the writ, she also said the publication seeks to portray her as a lawless person who is unfit to hold public office.
She argued that her reputation has been “seriously injured by these statements” and her image lowered in the eyes of right-thinking members of society, hence the lawsuit.
Below is the writ:
