Kojo Oppong Nkrumah drags Baba Jamal to court over galamsey allegations

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi and former Minister for Works and Housing, has filed a defamation suit at the High Court in Accra against Jamal Konneh, also known as Baba Jamal Konneh.

Konneh serves as Deputy Managing Director in charge of Operations at the Cocoa Marketing Company of Ghana and is the Eastern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress.

The suit, initiated through a writ filed by the plaintiff’s lawyers, Nkrumah and Associates, stems from remarks allegedly made by the defendant during a live radio appearance on Okay FM on 13 February 2026.

According to the statement of claim, Konneh is said to have alleged on air that Oppong Nkrumah brought Chinese nationals into Akyemansa in the Eastern Region to engage in illegal mining, widely known as galamsey. He further purportedly claimed that the alleged activities destroyed cocoa farms and harmed the livelihoods of local farmers.

The plaintiff argues that the comments were presented not as political rhetoric or opinion but as firm statements of fact, allegedly grounded in personal knowledge. Delivered in Twi during a live nationwide broadcast, the remarks were subsequently circulated across online streaming services, social media platforms and messaging applications, significantly expanding their reach.

Oppong Nkrumah insists the claims are entirely false and malicious. He contends that the statements portray him as complicit in criminal conduct, corrupt and unfit for public office, thereby undermining his integrity and public standing.

His pleadings stress that illegal mining is a serious criminal offence under Ghanaian law and is widely condemned for its devastating impact on water bodies, farmlands and rural livelihoods. He maintains that linking his name to such activity has inflicted severe reputational damage.

As a representative of a constituency with substantial cocoa farming communities, he further argues that the allegations falsely suggest he acted against the economic interests of his own constituents.

The suit claims the publication has caused significant reputational harm, emotional distress and loss of confidence among constituents, professional colleagues and public institutions.

He is seeking a declaration that the statements are defamatory, general damages of GH¢20 million for injury to his reputation, and aggravated and exemplary damages of GH¢10 million, citing alleged malice and the extensive dissemination of the claims. He is also asking the court to order a full and unconditional retraction and apology to be broadcast on Okay FM, published in at least three nationally circulated newspapers and posted across all digital platforms where the allegations appeared.

Additionally, the plaintiff is requesting a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from repeating the allegations and an order directing the removal of all related content from radio archives, websites and social media channels.

The case is currently before the High Court for determination.