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19.03.2012 Politics

Re: Bombshell! $5m Woyome Scandal Hits Mills’ Wife

19.03.2012 LISTEN
By Daily Guide

We act as Solicitors for Her Excellency, Mrs. Naadu Mills, the First lady of the Republic of Ghana.

Our client has instructed us to respond to a publication on the front page of the Monday, March 12, 2012 edition of your newspaper with the headline quoted above. In the publication, your newspaper reported that a certain Ernest Owusu Bempah, who was described as the Director of Operations of FONKAR, (an acronym for Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings), made allegations of corruption against our client to the effect that she had received the sum of $5 million from Mr. Alfred Woyome. The money, according to the report, was a portion of the judgment debt paid to Mr. Alfred Woyome by the State; which payment is now the subject of both criminal and civil suits instituted by the State against Mr. Alfred Woyome.

The First Lady categorically denies the allegation, as wild, completely baseless and without any shred of truth. She has instructed us to say that it is both inconceivable and indeed distasteful for any person to suggest that after so many years of living a simple life of integrity and hard work with her husband, the

President of the Republic of Ghana, she would accept a corrupt gift. Clearly, the publication was intended to disparage and embarrass she and the President and make them the subject of ridicule and odium.

Having admitted in the publication that you could not verify the veracity of the allegation, professional ethics would have dictated some other course of action.

The First Lady further instructs us to say that, while as a public figure she would accept genuine criticism, and recognizes the immense work that the media does to uphold the tenets of democracy, such outright lies as are contained in the allegations published by your newspaper are singularly unhelpful in arriving at

the truth of what is clearly an issue of national concern, the outcome of which every well-meaning Ghanaian should be interested in.

Your publication came at a time that both the First Lady and her husband, the President of the Republic of Ghana, were on a state visit and guests of the President of the United States of America, for and on behalf of the people of Ghana. News of the publication reached them in the United States of America and embarrassing questions were asked about it. By your publication you did not only embarrass our client and the President of Ghana, you also embarrassed the people of Ghana whom they represented in the United States of America.

While she reserves the right to sue in court all persons and/or entities connected with the false publication, in line with the peace and humility which her husband, the President, has preached for the past few years in office, however, she would, for now, exercise her constitutional right to a rejoinder instead, in the hope that the publication would not be repeated. By this letter, therefore, you are

requested to urgently publish this rejoinder, giving it the same prominence you gave your first publication.

You are also requested to remove forthwith from your website www.dailyguideghana.com, all traces of the story in order to prevent further dissemination

Our client has finally instructed us to say that she hopes that you would find it in your wisdom to render an apology to her. Let your conscience guide you in that.

On her part, it is her wish, that whilst all sectors of the populace work towards improving the lives of the people for a better Ghana, truth, tolerance and restraint should be a guide in the manner in which information is handled and disseminated.

Tony Lithur
 

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