Sammy Gyamfi reacts to verdict on NAPO’s defamation case against him

National Communications Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has announced plans to appeal the judgement of an Accra High Court in the Energy Minister, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh’s defamation suit against him.

The High Court, presided over by Justice Charles Gyamfi Danquah, in a judgment delivered on 13th October 2022, noted that Mr Gyamfi’s comment, accusing Dr Opoku-Prempeh of being involved in the kidnapping of two Canadian girls, is defamatory.

The said accusation was made at a press conference in June 2019, where Mr Gyamfi is quoted to have said that one Seidu Mba, a suspect in the kidnapping case, was “alleged to be the errand boy of Matthew Opoku-Prempeh.”

After three years of litigation, the court reached the conclusion that the NDC communication officer erred in his statement and awarded the complaint damages of GHS 500,000 and cost of GH50,000.00 against Mr Gyamfi.

Reacting to the verdict, Mr Gyamfi, in a statement he shared on his social media wall, was of the view that the honorable court erred in its decision.

“It is my considered view that the honorable court erred as its decision is contrary to the evidence that was put before the court. More importantly, I hold the view that the court’s decision to totally disregard the testimony of my witness, DW1, Mafus Jibril who testified that the said Seidu Mba was in fact the errand boy of Plaintiff and was in his company when he (DW1) was attacked in Manhyia sometime in 2012, constitutes a grave miscarriage of justice”, it read in part.

Consequently, he noted his lawyers will be filing a notice of appeal and an application for stay of execution to challenge the decision of the High Court forthwith.

While appreciating his lawyers, he prayed that justice will be duly served.

“It is worthy of note that this is only the decision of the court of first instance and not final. I am determined to pursue this matter to its logical conclusion,” he said.