‘Take the issue to court’ — Edem Agbana urges Ntim Fordjour on Angel Maxine's gay allegations
The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has advised Assin South MP, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, to pursue legal action against transgender musician Angel Maxine over alleged defamatory statements.
The controversy stems from a viral social media post in which Angel Maxine is said to have claimed that the MP, who is one of the lead sponsors of the proposed anti-gay bill, is gay and had a relationship with her, an allegation he has firmly denied.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour, through his legal representatives at Nkrumah & Associates, has issued a seven-day ultimatum demanding a retraction and apology, warning of legal action if the demand is not met.
In response, Angel Maxine’s lawyers, Merton & Everett LLP, have maintained that the comments were made within the context of satire and political commentary, particularly around debates on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
They further argued that the statements were not intended as factual claims but part of public discourse on a matter of national interest.
Reacting on social media on Wednesday, April 29, Mr. Agbana rejected the justification, insisting that satire cannot be used as a shield for defamation.
“You cannot make defamatory statements about a person, allow public opinion and commentary to erode that person’s credibility, and then retreat behind a claim of ‘satire’,” he stated.
He described such conduct as harmful to public discourse and reputation, urging restraint in public commentary.
“That is not a defence, it is an abuse,” he added.
The Ketu North lawmaker further called for the matter to be settled in court, stressing that due process should be allowed to take its course in resolving the dispute.