Ibrahim Mahama still expecting GH¢203,000 from Owusu Bempah

Chief Executive of  Engineers and Planners, Ibrahim Mahama  may be patiently waiting to receive an outstanding amount of GH¢203,000 to be paid to him by Director of Communications at Ghana Gas Company Limited,  Ernest Owusu Bempah, to complete the full amount of GH¢310,000 the former won in a defamation suit against the latter.

This information was made public Sunday afternoon Rafik Mahama, Aide to the CEO of Engineers and Planners.

Mr. Rafik Mahama, in a statement, noted: “Kindly disregard the story that went viral today with the headline: “Ibrahim Mahama invites ‘brother’ Owusu Bempah home for tea, pardons payment of GH¢203,000”. There’s no such invitation extended to Owusu Bempah after the apology was issued. An amount of GH¢ 107,000 has been paid so far with GH¢203,000 outstanding.

“Mr. Ibrahim Mahama received an official apology from Owusu Bempah and apart from that, no further decision has been taken with regards to the apology from Owusu Bempah and the outstanding amount of GH¢ 203,000.”

The statement was to set the records straight after news went round that  that Mr. Mahama had forgiven Owusu Bempah and written off the outstanding amount of  GH¢203,000

Owusu Bempah had made comments about Ibrahim Mahama and the courts ruled that the said comments were untrue, defamatory and injurious to the reputation of the CEO of Engineers and Planners.

Damages and cost were accordingly awarded against Owusu Bempah and he was asked to pay the said amount.

After the court ruling, Owusu Bempah has since apologized publicly to Ibrahim Mahama

In his 2-paged apology, Owusu Bempah said the statements he made about Mr. Ibrahim Mahama were “without basis and was made without due regard to the hard-earned reputation of Mr Ibrahim Mahama and ought not to have made same”.

He continued: “That statement I made about Mr Ibrahim Mahama was not true then and is not true now and can never be true and that I have no reason to make the statement.

“Irrespective of how it happened, the facts remain that I should never have made such a statement of Mr Ibrahim Mahama. The statement was clearly derogatory and defamatory of the person and the enviable achievements of Mr Ibrahim Mahama. I sincerely regret making that statement about him.”

The statement also read: “I sincerely and humbly apologise to Mr Ibrahim Mahama for unjustified and unfortunate statements about him. I am sincerely sorry and humbly ask for his forgiveness and I also apologise to his family and all persons who were affected by my denigration of the person and standing of Mr Ibrahim Mahama in society.”

Owusu Bempah said when he made up his mind to apologise to Ibrahim Mahama, he called him on phone and he [Ibrahim Mahama] referred to him [Owusu Bempah] as a “younger brother and even invited” him to his house.

“These acts of his make me regret more my conduct and I say without reservation that I am sincerely sorry for what I said about him,” his apology noted.