Benji’s Family Sues BBC, Sun

…Over AIDS Story

The family of Benji Kumassah, a former presenter of Choice FM who died in London two years ago, have threatened to sue the Sun newspaper and BBC, both of UK.

The threat follows a publication by the UK based newspaper, the Sun and later carried on a BBC Two Programme on Tuesday October 2, that Benji Kumassah died of AIDS instead of brain tumour, as stated in his death certificate.

A cousin of Benji Kumassah, Mr. Frank Anderson who spoke to Ghananewstoday from London, denied reports that the presenter died of HIV/AIDS infection.

Lizzie Jordan, Benji's girlfriend told the Sun that the late presenter infected her with HIV/AIDS before his death on March 29, 2006, but Benji's family insisted that the he did not die of HIV/AIDS and that the British woman was ridiculing the family.

According to Frank Anderson, the autopsy report made available from Hull and East Yorkshire Hospital had shown that Benji Kumassah died of Cerebral Toxoplasmosis, which is an infection of the brain common in HIV patients. But he insisted that the Coroner's report did not state explicitly that Benji Kumassah had the HIV Virus.

He suspects, however, that Benji's British Girlfriend, Lizzie, had an agenda to discredit the good image created by Benji before his death.

Lizzie told the Sun that Benji's death certificate stated that he died from a brain tumour, but "to be sure of the verdict, Benji's consultant sent his brain away for analysis”.

After five and a half months of waiting, she said she received a call from the coroner informing her that the autopsy results were in, and that she should visit her GP for it.

Lizzie said, "I expected to be told what the tumour was, or how long Benji had it, but my GP's face told me there was more to it.

He said Benji died from toxio plasmosis, a disease caused by a weak immune system. Basically, my boyfriend had AIDS. Doctors believe Benji contracted HIV around 15 years before he passed away.”

As soon the news broke, a group of Ghanaians living in the United Kingdom questioned the motive behind the publication.

They insisted that Benji Kumassah did not die of HIV/AIDS, but died of tumour as stated in his death certificate.

According to the CEO of London-based Hot FM, Mr Vandyke, who spoke to Beatwaves on phone, said Ghanaians in the UK were shocked when a documentary about Benji's death was shown on BBC 2 telling the whole world that the Ghanaian star died of AIDS.

“We don't believe the story. It is only an attempt to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Benji.”

By George Clifford Owusu