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Alert

Another minister sues two newspapers

(MFWA/IFEX) - Ghana's Minister for Communications, Professor Mike Ocquaye, filed a suit at an Accra High Court on 5 June 2006, against the publishers and editors of "Ghanaian Lens" and "Ghana Palaver", two Accra-based bi-weekly privately-owned newspapers, for allegedly defaming him.

Afi Amematekpor, a correspondent of the "Ghanaian Lens" was also jointly sued.

The minister is claiming damages of 5 billion Cedis (approx. US$556,000) against the two newspapers, as well as a court order restraining them from further publishing damaging stories about him.

Prof. Ocquaye, who is also a church minister, is also asking the court to compel the defendants to render a public apology to him.

The "Ghanaian Lens" newspaper in its 20 April edition published an article entitled "Yesu Kristo (Jesus Christ)!!! Rev. Minister prepares his heaven on earth, builds six houses in one year . . . " suggesting that Ocquaye had acquired six residential houses within one year of becoming a minister of state.

The article also said the minister had demolished an entire house in a prime area of Accra and was rebuilding it to the taste "of an oriental Nabob with Saudi Arabian extravagance."

The "Ghana Palaver" also published similar stories during the same period.

According to the lawsuit, the articles were deliberately written to portray the minister as a greedy political office holder who had amassed enough wealth to build seven mansions.

It also said the articles were intentionally meant to depict him as an ordained minister who had failed to practise what he preached and a hypocrite parading under the guise of a clergyman.

However, "Ghanaian Lens" editor Kobby Fiagbe told MFWA that his newspaper has not been served with any notice of a lawsuit: "I read about the intended suit in the newspapers and on the internet."