Porturphy sues Daily Guide, reporter

Mr Kofi Porturphy, National Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), has sued the Western Publications Limited, publishers of the Daily Guide newspaper, and Mr Charles Takyi-Boadu, a reporter of the paper, for libel.

He has also placed an injunction restraining the defendants “by themselves, their servants, agents or any person or persons acting through or under them from publishing or causing to be published such or similar words defamatory to the plaintiff.”

A writ of summons signed on January 29, 2015 by Mr Abraham Amaliba, Lawyer for plaintiff and copied to the Ghana News Agency is also claiming damages of GH¢5 million.

The writ stated that the Monday, January 26, 2015 edition of the Daily Guide newspaper published a story against the plaintiff on the headline: “Porturphy must go, blows GH¢300 million” with his photograph attached to the story.

The writ added that on the page three of the same paper the second defendant published that plaintiff had spent in excess of GH¢300 million on relief items in the last quarter of 2012 and described the expenditure as “ghostly”.

“Where that NADMO went to, and how Mr Portuphy got funded for his NDC’s chairmanship race, remains questionable,” the writ quoted the newspaper report.

The plaintiff avers that the malice with which the defendants made the publication the subject matter of the present suit is confirmed by the fact that defendants made no efforts whatsoever to cross check either with NADMO or plaintiff the veracity or otherwise of the story contained in the publication.

“In consequence, the plaintiff’s reputation has been severely damaged and shattered in tatters. The plaintiff has suffered immense distress and embarrassments and consequentially has been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt,” the writ said.

Source: GNA