Ampem-Darko unfazed about dismissal, threatens to sue NMC

William Ampem-Darko, former Director-General of GBC

The beleaguered former Director-General of the state-owned Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), William Ampem-Darko, has given a two-week ultimatum to the National Media Commission to conduct a forensic audit into alleged corruption during his reign.

Mr Ampem-Darko, whose appointment with the state broadcaster was terminated Tuesday evening, said failure by the NMC to conduct the audit to either clear him or confirm the corrupt allegations levelled against him, may force him to take legal action to seek to protect his reputation.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Wednesday during which he confirmed receipt of his termination letter, Mr Ampem-Darko said the termination of his appointment was with immediate effect in accordance with Section 9(a) of his Service Agreement which states that the employer may end the contract, giving three months notice or three months salary in lieu of notice.

“The forensic audit must be done before the end of this month, otherwise I may take [legal] action against them,” he cautioned.

The former D-G said he had spent over 35 years building his reputation as business manager and was not going to sit by whilst unsubstantiated allegations of malfeasance and graft were used to dent his image.

The National Media Commission on November 24 asked Mr Ampem-Darko to proceed on an indefinite leave while a committee investigated allegations of malfeasance against him and a simmering impasse at the GBC.

However, Mr Ampem-Darko said prior to the termination of his appointment, nothing had been communicated to him about the outcome of that investigation.

He suspects foul play in the termination of his appointment, saying he was informed that decision to end his contract was done without the chairman of the committee that investigated the GBC saga, Mr Appiah Ampofo, government's representative on the Commission.

According to him, Mr Ampofo was replaced Tuesday, the very day his appointment was terminated.

“So the chairman of the committee that investigated the GBC affairs was withdrawn eight hours to the time they were going to take decision on the findings. Even Mr Appiah Ampofo never had the opportunity to affirm the final meeting that took the decision to terminate my appointment.”

The former GBC boss dismissed suggestions of wrong doing during his tenure in office, noting that if he had done “something wrong” at the GBC, he would “have been sacked long ago”.

He explained that the legal action he intends to pursue would be necessary to protect his reputation, and not because he was interested in GBC, saying he has already “made [his] mark, I have got international reputation, the workers over there know the good work that I have done, in fact the whole country, those who have eyes to see know that I have done a good work there.”

He said the decision was also to ensure that “fair play and justice” was at play at the state broadcaster.

He said more autonomy should be granted the state broadcaster to avoid the power struggle at the place, usually caused by personal interest of certain power brokers at the various institutions that the GBC reports to.

Mr William Ampem-Darko announced that he will be leaving the shores of the country by the end of the month to take up another appointment at an unmentioned country.

Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com