General News of Monday, 17 June 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Seidu links: Forget it! I won’t apologize – Sammy Gyamfi tells NAPO

Sammy Gyamfi and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh Sammy Gyamfi and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh

National Communications Officer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) Sammy Gyamfi has called the bluff of Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh stressing he does not owe the Minister any apology for a purported defamatory statement he’s made.

Lawyers for Dr. Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South have written to Mr. Sammy Gyamfi demanding a retraction of what they said was a defamatory comment linking the Minister to one of the accused persons in the Canadian women kidnapping case.

Gyamfi is said to have stated during a press conference on Thursday, June 13, that, there was a “connection” and a “relationship” between Dr. Opoku Prempeh popularly referred to as NAPO [Nana Poku] and Seidu Yakubu, also known as “MBA”, one of the accused persons in the June 4, 2019 kidnapping of the two Canadian women in Kumasi.

“Seidu’s association with the NPP is more than meets the eye. He is alleged to be the personal bodyguard of the Asokore Mampong MCE, Alhaji Alidu Seidu, and an errand boy for both Manhyia MP, Hon Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako (aka Wontumi,” Mr Gyamfi reportedly stated at the press conference according to Dr Opoku Prempeh’s lawyers.

However, the lawyers, Sarkodie Baffour Awuah and Partners are insisting that “The aforementioned statement is not only false but malicious as the said Seidu is no errand boy” of Dr Opoku Prempeh.

They argued that Mr Gyamfi’s statement was a suggestion that Dr Opoku Prempeh condones and associates himself with persons suspected to have engaged in the crime of kidnapping, and sought to ascribe to “our client’s inappropriate conduct of involvement with persons you describe as thugs.”

The lawyers served notice that they have instructions to institute legal proceedings against the two if they fail to honour the demands within 48 hours.

But speaking on the matter on Asempa FM’s Eko si sen show Monday, Sammy Gyamfi who’s a trained lawyer insisted that he sees no defamation or malice in the statement he made, hence will not retract no apologize.

“I have no apology to render to Matthew Opoku Prempah or retract my statement about him. If someone makes a statement saying it is alleged, does that make his pronouncement defamatory or malicious? I owe Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh no apology, all that I’ve said is the truth and fact. If someone says what I said is defamatory and the advice of his lawyers is that he should go to court and thinks he can discern malice from that, he can take the lead to the court, the Judge will eventually rule whether there’s indeed malice in my statement or not. I have nothing to retract or apologize for relative to that statement.”