Kojo Oppong Nkrumah sues Deputy CEO of Cocoa Marketing Company over galamsey allegations
Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi and former Minister for Information, has filed a defamation suit at the High Court in Accra against Mr. Jamal Konney, Deputy Managing Director (Operations) of the Cocoa Marketing Company and Eastern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The suit, initiated through his lawyer, Daniel Martey Addo Esq., Managing Counsel of Nkrumah & Associates, arises from statements allegedly made by Mr. Konney during a live broadcast on Okay FM on February 13, 2026.
According to the writ, Mr. Konney is alleged to have accused Mr. Oppong Nkrumah of importing Chinese nationals into Akyemansa to engage in illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey,” which purportedly resulted in the destruction of cocoa farms in the area.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah contends that the allegations are false and malicious, and were calculated to injure his reputation and standing as a public official. He argues that the statements portray him as complicit in criminal conduct, corrupt, and unfit to hold public office.
In his statement of claim, the Plaintiff avers that the broadcast has caused severe reputational harm, emotional distress, public ridicule, and erosion of trust among his constituents and key stakeholders. He maintains that the publication has lowered him in the estimation of right-thinking members of society and exposed him to hatred, contempt, and disrepute.
Reliefs sought
The Plaintiff is praying the court for a declaration that remarks attributed to the Defendant — “We were in this town when Oppong Nkrumah brought Chinese workers to Akyemansa to destroy cocoa farms through galamsey. We were also here when he brought people to Akyemansa to engage in galamsey on cocoa farms.” — are false, malicious, and defamatory.
According to the writ, the Plaintiff contends that the statements, which were allegedly published and/or caused to be published by the Defendant, have gravely injured his reputation and standing.
The Plaintiff is seeking general damages in the sum of GHS 20,000,000.00 for defamation, arguing that the alleged publication has caused significant injury to his reputation, dignity, and public image.
In addition, the Plaintiff is asking the court to award aggravated and exemplary damages amounting to GHS 10,000,000.00. The suit maintains that such damages are warranted due to what it describes as the malicious nature of the publication, the high public office held by the Defendant, and the wide dissemination of the statements.
Beyond monetary compensation, the Plaintiff is requesting an order directing the Defendant to publish a full, unconditional, and prominently displayed apology and retraction. The proposed retraction is to be given equal prominence to the original publication and aired on Okay FM, published in at least three nationally circulated newspapers, and disseminated across all digital and social media platforms where the alleged defamatory remarks were carried.
The Plaintiff is also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendant, whether by himself, his servants, agents, assigns, or privies, from further publishing or repeating the alleged defamatory statements or any similar allegations.
Furthermore, the suit asks the court to compel the Defendant to remove and procure the removal of all defamatory material relating to the Plaintiff from radio archives, online publications, websites, blogs, and social media platforms under his control or influence.
The Plaintiff is also praying for costs, including solicitor’s professional fees, to be assessed in accordance with the Ghana Bar Association Scale of Fees, as well as any further reliefs the court may deem fit, just, and equitable in the circumstances.
