Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has filed a lawsuit against Captain Smart of Onua TV and Radio for allegedly defamatory remarks.
According to reports, Captain Smart claimed on one of his shows that Mr. Ofori-Atta had taken a 10% cut of Ghana’s $3 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
“Are you aware that Ken Ofori-Atta has taken his 10% of the IMF money? For Every loan we take he takes 10%”.
In a lawsuit against Captain Smart, Ken Ofori Attah makes demands “recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000,000.00) as general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation for the libel uttered by Defendant”.
Demands an apology and retraction for the words that were criticized and specifically mentioned above, among other reliefs.
In a related news, Parliamentarian for Subin Eugene Boakye Antwi has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to keep his promise to fire the finance minister following the conclusion of the IMF bailout.
He claimed that the 80 New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmakers who demanded the dismissal of Ken Ofori-Atta expect the President to keep his promise.
“My job is to expose the failings I think are happening at the Ministry of Finance… Principle and conviction alone should make you resign,” Eugene Antwi said.
In response to the nation’s economic problems, the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim-North, Andy Appiah Kubi, and other New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs demanded the Finance Minister’s dismissal in 2022 and threatened to boycott the 2023 budget presentation.
After speaking with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo about the issue, the MPs later changed their minds.
On Friday, May 19, Ghana was given the first payment of $600 million from the $3 billion three-year extended credit support provided by the IMF.
