The Effutu Constituency National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate for the 2024 general elections, James Kofi Annan, has refuted claims alleging that he lied against the Member of Parliament for the Constituency, Honorable Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin and subsequently apologized.
Mr Annan, in a statement strongly asserted that the claim, which has been reported by several newspapers is a misrepresentation of the facts and lacks the context of his legal battles and subsequent court-mandated actions with the Efutu Member of Parliament.
“My attention has been drawn to a misleading newspaper headline, “I lied against Afenyo-Markin – Effutu NDC candidate begs”, recently circulating on various social media platforms. The said publication, which was done in 2023, is deliberately re-circulated without its content”.
James Kofi Annan , Effutu Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC
He began his account of the event by stating that in 2019, he was approached by some unknown individuals to offer financial support for his parliamentary bid for the 2020 general elections.
Mr Annan recounted that despite initial scepticism and rejecting the offer due to potential legal ramifications, he eventually accepted the funds after eight months of persistent assurance of the donors’ genuineness.
He noted that upon providing his bank account details, he received a cheque of GHC100,000 from these individuals, but surprisingly after the withdrawal of the funds, he was contacted by the Winneba Police.
Mr Annan noted that the Winneba Police contact with him was triggered by one Benjamin Ackah, who had issued the cheque and later lodged a criminal complaint alleging that he [James Kofi Annan] had illegally withdrawn GHC100,000 from him [Benjamin Ackah’s] account.
According to Mr Annan, this led to his arrest and prosecution, a legal ordeal that lasted nearly two years.
Court Acquittal and Revelations
During the trial, the National Democratic Congress Parliamentary Candidate for the Effutu Constituency indicated that the Commercial Bank of Ghana (CBG) revealed that the complainant, Benjamin Ackah, was indeed the same person who had issued the cheque to him.
He posited that the revelation by the Commercial Bank of Ghana exposed Mr Benjamin Ackah’s scheme of a deliberate attempt to incriminate him.
Mr Annan, further recounted that following the extensive media coverage of his case, he publicly suspected that his political opponent, Honourable Afenyo-Markin, might be behind the plot, leading to the latter suing him [James Kofi Annan] for defamation.
“From how the entire scheme unfolded, and how suddenly media houses and NPP communicators flooded the police station when I was arrested, I was clear in my mind that a political opponent could be the one behind the whole plot to get me incriminated.
“I therefore stated in a press statement that I suspected Afenyo-Markin, my political opponent, to be behind the whole scheme. He sued me, claiming defamation”.
James Kofi Annan , Effutu Parliamentary Candidate for the NDC
He further stated that the court ruled in Honorable Afenyo-Markin’s favour, demanding an apology and retraction from him, adding that despite filing an appeal and requesting a stay of execution, the court insisted on his immediate apology and retraction.
Mr Annan also stated that, following the court order, he reluctantly complied with the directive to avoid contempt charges, even though his appeal against the defamation judgment is still pending, emphasising that his apology and retraction were court-mandated actions and do not imply an admission of lying against Afenyo-Markin.
Moreover, Mr James Kofi Annan, the National Democratic Congress Effutu Constituency’s Parliamentary Candidate for the upcoming elections recounted that in response to his ordeal, he has filed a lawsuit against the Ghana Police Service and Mr Benjamin Ackah, seeking GHC20 million for malicious prosecution.
He asserted that his statement, expressing suspicion rather than certainty of Honorable Afenyo-Markin’s involvement, should not be equated with defamation.
Mr Annan further emphasized that he aims to pursue his appeal to its conclusion, seeking clarity on the differentiation between suspicion and definitive accusation in defamation cases.
He expressed optimism that the conclusion of his case will significantly impact journalism and the legal interpretation of defamation in Ghana.
Mr Annan concluded by urging the public and media outlets to refrain from misrepresenting the facts and to consider the context and details of his statement and legal battles.
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