Markin and Associates, lawyers for Daniel Owusu Koranteng, the accused person in the Ahmed Suale murder case have criticized misleading and false statements about their client in sections of the media.

In a letter dated March 20, 2025 and signed by a Managing Partner, the firm has demanded a retraction and apology from the Multimedia Group over March 17, 2025 publications about their client across their platforms.

The lawyers said Multimedia's publication about their client contained offensive narratives that the accused fled the country after the assassination of Ahmed Suale in 2019, and went into hiding outside the country until two weeks ago when he sneaked into town.

”Our client finds it disconcerting and perplexing that a reputable media organization like Multimedia Group would lend its respected platform to propagate falsehoods on a fact that could easily be verified as same was within the knowledge of the Multimedia Group," the statement read in part.

The statement detailed a court case in which the accused and Multimedia Group are listed as co-defendants, as it relates to a case the two are engaged in with the Ghana Pharmacy Council over a documentary the accused was due to air on Joy News platform.

"Our client has been in and out of the country at various times in the past years and no media house knows this more than Joy News," the statement added.

On the claim that call records placed the accused within proximity of Ahmed Suale before and at the time of the murder, the lawyers said the claim was intended to "make it easier for the unsuspecting readers to conclude on the guilt of our client without knowing the real facts as known to you..."

While stressing that the publication had caused their client irreparable damage, in terms of his reputation and dignity; they demanded a retraction and apology for the offensive paragraphs and "an unqualified apology to our client within FORTY-EIGHT HOURS OF RECEIPT of this letter on the same platforms used, failing which we hold firm instructions to act in the best interest of our client as permitted by law."

Ahmed Suale’s murder occurred on January 16, 2019, near his family house at Madina, after he collaborated with the BBC on an investigative story exposing widespread corruption in African football, particularly in Ghana.

Koranteng was arrested and has been provisionally charged with murder, he was recently remanded and is to reappear on April 1.

Before adjourning the matter to April 1, 2025, the court, presided over by Suzzy Nyakotey, asked the prosecution whether the sale of photographs alone could provide sufficient grounds to charge someone with murder.

The prosecutors said investigations were still ongoing.

KA

Meanwhile, catch the first in the series of our special episodes on Forgotten Forts on People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below. This episode focuses on Fort Amsterdam at Abandze: