Galamsey Allegation Saga: Kennedy Agyapong files appeal against Kweku Baako based on Frimpong-Boateng’s report

Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong has filed an appeal against Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Abdul Malik Kwaku Baako in a defamation suit that the latter earlier won against Kennedy Agyapong in 2020.

In 2018, Mr Agyapong accused Mr. Baako and ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas of engaging in illegal small-scale mining known as galamsey with a company called C & G Aleska Company Ltd.

This allegation levied against Kweku Baako did not augur well with him which made him drag Kennedy Agyapong to court over defamation.

The plaintiff in a writ stated that Mr. Agyapong in July 2018 made some defamatory comments against him on some radio stations including his own media platforms Net2 TV and Oman FM.

Moreover, he said the defendant accused him of being corrupt, a hypocrite, and dishonest.

“Look, I have dared Kweku Baako. He is a very corrupt guy. Where is his paper? Kweku Baako is very corrupt; Kweku Baako is very corrupt in his paper. Kweku Baako is not a clean man that President would tolerate in his office anymore…. I said I have concluded that Kweku Baako is not clean…He’s a hypocrite….. Kweku Baako is not an honest man at all………I said he’s not a saint. Kweku Baako is not a saint. He’s evil…… Very evil man…He’s a very evil man”, an excerpt of the writ read.

During the trial, Kweku Baako demanded GHS25 million for damages but the court awarded him GHS100,000 damages instead and a cost of GHS30,000.

A new development concerning the galamsey saga between Kennedy Agyapong and Kweku Baako is that the former has filed another appeal with reference to the new galamsey report by the former chairman of the defunct Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

The application for an appeal dated 5th May 2023, indicated that “Among the primary issue in contention on this appeal is a commentary made by the applicant [Kennedy Agyapong] about the respondent’s (Kwaku Baako) involvement in galamsey activities by intervening on behalf of a company called C&G Aleska”.

“The said intervention had to do with the defendant [Kennedy Agyapong] calling on the Minister for Environment Science, Technology and Innovation who was the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) to allow C&G Aleska to go back on site and continue its illegal mining activities although its license had been revoked confirming respondent’s (Kwaku Baako) influence peddling which also amounts to his involvement in galamsey.

“The said intervention resulted in the applicant’s [Kennedy Agyapong] commentary that the respondent [Kwaku Baako] was also involved in galamsey. That during the trial the applicant’s [Kennedy Agyapong] effort to get the Chairman of the IMCIM [Frimpong-Boateng] to testify and corroborate the same proved futile, therefore, resulted in the applicant (Kennedy Agyapong) unable to prove his defense of truth, fair comment and thus justified”.

“On the 18th day of April 2023, the applicant [Kennedy Agyapong] chanced upon a confidential document from the Office of the President of Ghana with an attached report prepared by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng which intrinsically addressed the applicant’s [Kennedy Agyapong]concerns and the role played by the respondent [Kwaku Baako] on behalf of C&G Aleska which was involved in galamsey activities.”

Find the writ below