Ato Forson drags Kennedy Agyapong to court over assassination claims
The Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan-Esiam, Cassiel Ato Forson, has dragged his peer who represents Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to court over allegations of assassination.
Mr Ato Forson wants the Assin Central MP to explain to the court how he is connected to the alleged assassination plot against the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison.
This comes after Mr Agyapong had alleged that the Ajumako Enyan-Esiam legislator contracted people to kill the Gender Minister.
“The boys mentioned Cassiel Ato Forson’s name to the police. Why is it that the police would not like to speak the truth? Ato Forson gave the boys to the parliamentary candidate Paul Ofori Amoah.
“Truly speaking, the parliamentary candidate is very calm, but Ato Forson did that. He should come out and challenge me,” Kennedy Agyapong said on Net 2 television on October 26.
The suit currently before the Accra High Court is against the NPP legislator and his media house, Kencity Media.
In his statement of claim, Mr Ato Forson said while he had not been mentioned or invited by the police for questioning, Mr Agyapong went ahead to make such libellous statements against him.
The Ranking Member of the Finance Committee in parliament argued that the claims of the NPP stalwart had damaged his image and brought his hard-won reputation into hatred, ridicule, discredit, contempt, opprobrium and reproach.
“And as such right-thinking members of the society question the integrity of the plaintiff, especially as a Member of Parliament and a former government official,” he stressed.
He prayed the court to ensure that Kennedy Agyapong and Net 2 TV retract and apologise for the comments within seven days and remove all such defamatory comments from their social media pages, including YouTube.
He also wants GH₵500,000 in damages from Mr. Agyapong and GH₵300,000.00 from Net 2 TV.
Additionally, he wants the court to slap the defendant with GH₵600,000 as punitive damages.
Mr Agyapong’s scandal of trials
Kennedy Agyapong, a businessman and an NPP financier, has a history of making scandalous comments.
He has shown he is not allergic to defamation suits. He was sued by Ivy Heward-Mills, wife of a late NPP MP. In the suit filed in January 2019, the widow asked for 50million cedis.
A retired Chief State Attorney, Ellen C. Kwawukume, also brought a GH¢25 million defamation suit in September 2018.
ALSO READ: Counsel for Agyapong protesting against playing video
In May 2020, a former government appointee, Joseph Yamin, sued controversial NPP MP, Kennedy Agyapong for defamation and has asked for GH¢95 million.
Many of these cases have not been concluded. But in a case that has come closest to completion, the Accra High Court gave veteran journalist, Mr. Kweku Baako, victory in a defamatory suit he filed against Mr Agyapong.
The MP is to pay him GH¢ 100,000 in damages. But Mr. Agyapong has appealed the judgment and hearing has not been concluded.
Last February, Parliament reprimanded the Assin Central MP after he was found guilty by the Privileges Committee for calling the House cheap and useless.
He is currently facing a contempt charge at the Accra High Court for insulting a judge.