I won't Apologise, Let's Meet In Court – Sammy Gyamfi To NAPO

Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has dared Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh to meet him in court if (Napo) feel defamed of linking notorious kidnapper, Seidu Mba Yakubu to him is false.

According to the NDC National Communication Officer, he does not owe the Minister any apology for a purported defamatory statement he’s made during a press statement on the arrest of suspects in the kidnapped Canadian ladies case.

Sammy Gyamfi was reacting to a letter written to him by lawyers for the Minister of Education, demanding that he retract and apologise to the Minister for what they deemed defamatory comment linking the Minister to one of the accused persons in the Canadian women kidnapping case.

Commenting on the letter on Asempa FM’s Eko si sen programme Monday, June 17 monitored by Modernghana, Sammy Gyamfi maintained that his statement has no element of defamation or malice that warrant a retraction and apology.

"If someone makes a statement saying it is alleged, does that make his pronouncement defamatory or malicious? I owe Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh no apology, all that I’ve said is the truth and fact.

“I have no apology to render to Matthew Opoku Prempeh or retract my statement about him. If someone says what I said is defamatory and the advice of his lawyers is that he should go to court and thinks he can discern malice from that, he can take the lead to the court, the Judge will eventually rule whether there’s indeed malice in my statement or not. I have nothing to retract or apologize for relative to that statement," Sammy insisted of no wrong done

The demands for apology stemmed from the fact that, at a press conference on Thursday, June 13, Sammy Gyamfi alleged that there was a “connection” and a “relationship” between Dr Opoku Prempeh popularly referred to as NAPO and Seidu Yakubu Mba, a suspect in the kidnapping business in Kumasi.

Lawyers for the Minister quoted Sammy saying, “Seidu’s association with the NPP is more than meets the eye."

Seidu Mba is alleged to be the personal bodyguard of the Asokore Mampong MCE, Alhaji Alidu Seidu, and an errand boy for both Manhyia MP, Hon Mathew Opoku Prempeh and Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako aka Wontumi.

The letter written by Sarkodie Baffour Awuah and Partners law Chambers argued that the statement in reference was not only false but malicious as the said Seidu is not an errand boy to another client, who is also a Member of Parliament for Manyhia South.

In their view, the NDC Communication Officer allegation sought to suggest that Dr Opoku Prempeh condones and associates himself with persons suspected to have engaged in the crime of kidnapping, and sought to ascribe to “our client’s inappropriate conduct of involvement with persons you describe as thugs.”

The Minister legal counsel, however, served notice that they have instructions to institute court actions against Sammy Gyamfi and the NDC if they fail to honour the demands for an apology within 48 hours.