The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has reportedly filed a defamation suit at an Accra High Court against media conglomerate, Excellence in Broadcasting (EIB).
The minister has sued the media house over a publication in which EIB said a regional minister had collapsed after his driver bolted with his GH¢17 million being proceeds from illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
The suit, according to a report by Dailyguidenetwork.com, also enjoins the General Manager of EIB, Nana Aba Anamoah and one Paa Kwesi Writ as respondents.
This comes after the minister, in an earlier statement, said the publication, which he described as laden with innuendos, had been linked to him.
The publication by GhOne TV, a subsidiary of EIB network, on its Facebook page did not mention the name of any minister.
However, Mr Darko-Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, in his statement said it that “this news alert appears to cast an innuendo on my person.”
He said, “It is therefore not strange that for those who are still bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation and to distract me from my official duties in service to the people of my region including my unrelenting fight against illegal mining, they have jumped onto the news to further their sinister objectives.
“Please be advised that I am well and fit and carrying about my duties in good health and great spirits. I am completely unfazed by these attempts to derail my work. All well-meaning Ghanaians are therefore advised to disregard the said news alert and treat it with the contempt it deserves,” he added.
The minister, on various occasions, has refuted claims of being engaged in illegal mining activities.
