Bantama MP dares Captain Smart

A former Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Francis Asenso-Boakye, currently the Member of Parliament for the Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region has instructed his team of lawyers to officially write to the firebrand-Broadcast Journalist, Captain Smart a letter to demand a retraction and an apology for what the former has described as defamatory comments from the latter.

Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister for Works and Housing, has further warned through his lawyers that if Captain Smart, as a matter of urgency, does not offer the requested retraction and apology, they two may find themselves in a legal tango at the law courts over a defamation suit.

The letter from the lawyers claim that Captain Smart had alleged that Asenso-Boakye, when he was the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, had used his position and influence to stop a staff of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), by name ‘Adubufuor’, from being transferred.

Sarkodie Baffuor Awuah and Partners, the lawyers for Asenso-Boakye, explained their client had never interfered in the internal affairs of the GRA let alone halt the transfer of any staff of the Authority.

According to the lawyers, though Asenso-Boakye had explained that the narration of Capt Smart was untrue and intended to tarnish his positive image, the Broadcast Journalist had insisted on his claim.

This alleged unrelenting posture by Captain Smart is what has necessitated the decision to write to him to in demand of a retraction and an apology or face a defamation suit without further notice.

Portions of the letter authored by Nana Agyiri Baffuor Awuah Esq, noted:

“The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) is an organization established and governed by an Act of Parliament, the Ghana Revenue Authority Act 2009 (Act 791) and that, in his position as Deputy Chief of Staff, he has no influence or control over the GRA whatsoever.

“Our client has already engaged you and clarified the circumstances and extent of his involvement; details of which are contained in a Press Statement issued by our client on 29th August, 2022. A copy of the said statement is hereto attached.

“Our client finds your persistent conduct of peddling the untruth that he used his former office to reverse the outcome of disciplinary proceedings by the GRA, to be in bad faith and intended to defame him by portraying him in the minds of right-thinking members of society as a person who does not only abuse his office but has no regard for the laws of Ghana.

“In the circumstance, we have our client’s instructions to demand and we hereby demand a retraction and unqualified apology to our client, for peddling the aforementioned blatant and malicious falsehood about him, within seven days of receipt of this note, through the same media you published the said falsehood.”