I lied against Afenyo-Markin …Effutu NDC candidate begs publicly
James Kofi Annan, the recent parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Effutu constituency of the Central Region, has rendered an official public apology for what he himself has admitted to be defamatory comments he caused to be published against the incumbent Member of Parliament for the same constituency, Alexander Afenyo-Markin during the election 2020 campaign season.
In an official statement issued to the media, Kofi Annan, who was the NDC 2020 PC for Effutu constituency noted:
“I James Kofi Annan state that the statement I authored, which you published on 17th March 2020 on your network was without basis;
“That the statement I made, that I suspected him, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin in a GHC100,000 scheme to incriminate me, as mentioned in the said press statement, had no evidence whatsoever, and that I had no reason to make those comments;
“That I should never have made that statement about Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
“That I sincerely render an unqualified apology to Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin for any inconvenience the said statement I authored may have caused his person and or his reputation or his associates.
“That I retract the statement I made in its entirety without any reservation.
“That the above retraction and apology is made by me without any reservation”, James Kofi Annan stated among other facts.
The public apology was based on a Court Order to James Kofi-Annan.
Afenyo-Markin, plaintiff, had dragged James Kofi Annan, defendant, to Court to seek redress in what the MP described as untrue but offensive and destructive statements against his person caused to be published by the plaintiff. .
The court, after full trial, ordered specifically that the retraction and apology from James Kofi Annan to Alexander Afenyo-Markin should be through the same mass media he, James Kofi Annan, used to unfairly tarnish the reputation of the top-notch lawyer.
The ruling mentioned Adom TV, Joy TV and United Television as part of the media houses through which James Kofi Annan must publish the retraction and apology to Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
“The Defendant is hereby ordered to withdraw and apologise to the Plaintiff using the same media outlets in his press conference on 17th March 2020. Those media outlets include Adom TV, Joy TV and United Television.
Below is the statement issued by James Kofi Annan in compliance with the Court Order:
On 20th March 2020, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin brought a case of defamation against me (James Kofi Annan) in the Winneba District Court.
I had then alluded in a press statement that I suspected him (Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin) that he was behind a scheme of GHC100,000 that was maliciously deposited into my bank account to incriminate me. The import of his (Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s) case was that, by authoring the said statement, I had defamed him in the minds of right-thinking people.
On the 28th day of August 2020, the Winneba District Court presided over by His Worship Isaac Oheneba Kuffuor, (as he then was) entered a judgment in favor of Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin. In the view of the court, the statement I made was defamatory of Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin. The court subsequently made the following orders:
- That I should publish on JOY TV, ADOM TV, UTV, and relevant online media portals a retraction of the publication, and to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff.
- That I should pay damages and costs of GH¢ 25,000.
In fulfillment of the above order 1, I wrote to the media houses involved, to publish retraction and apology. Unfortunately, only one media house carried the apology and instruction.
In the meantime I have already paid the damages and cost in full to the plaintiff in fulfillment of the above order 2.
Subsequently, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin brought an application to the Winneba High Court, asking the court to commit me to prison for failing to carry out the orders of the court. The Winneba High Court on Tuesday May 17, 2023, gave orders that I render unqualified apology to Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin within eight days.
Now the Unqualified Apology and Retraction
To further demonstrate my commitment and respect for the orders of the High Court, Winneba dated 17th May 20223, and to show sincerity in my apology and retraction, I hereby submit for publication on your network, a retraction of the full statement, and an apology, in the following terms;
- I James Kofi Annan state that the statement I authored, which you published on 17th March 2020 on your network was without basis;
- That the statement I made, that I suspected him, Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin in a GHC100,000 scheme to incriminate me, as mentioned in the said press statement, had no evidence whatsoever, and that I had no reason to make those comments;
- That I should never have made that statement about Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
- That I sincerely render an unqualified apology to Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin for any inconvenience the said statement I authored may have caused his person and or his reputation or his associates.
- That I retract the statement I made in its entirety without any reservation.
- That the above retraction and apology is made by me without any reservation.
Please kindly find attached the orders of the court, for your records.
Thank you.
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