“GhanaWeb” withdraws report after defamation complaint by Jospong CEO
GhanaWeb has retracted and corrected a publication that linked the Chief Executive Officer of the Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to alleged criminal investigations involving former officials of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
The retraction follows a legal demand from the lawyers of Dr. Agyepong, Kwame Gyan & Associates, who described the earlier report as defamatory and misleading.
In a letter dated March 4, 2026, addressed to the Chief Editor of Superweb Technologies Ltd (GhanaWeb), the solicitors stated that the online publication titled “Ex-COCOBOD chiefs finally face criminal investigations – Report” falsely suggested that their client had benefited from procurement deals under the previous COCOBOD administration and was under criminal investigation.
According to the lawyers, the claims were “grossly defamatory” and wrongly portrayed the renowned Ghanaian businessman as being complicit in financial irregularities.
“Our Client states that neither he nor his affiliate companies were beneficiaries of contracts under the erstwhile COCOBOD administration and are not under any criminal investigation,” the letter emphasized.
The lawyers further argued that the inclusion of Dr. Agyepong’s image alongside other individuals in the story created the impression that he was implicated in alleged wrongdoing that had caused financial loss to the state.
They described the publication as “misconceived and mischievous” and a calculated attempt to damage the reputation of the Jospong Group founder.
Kwame Gyan & Associates also highlighted the contributions of Dr. Agyepong to Ghana’s economy, noting that his group of companies, which has more than 40 subsidiary firms, has created employment for over 200,000 people and supported numerous social interventions across the country.
The law firm reminded the media organization that while press freedom is protected under Ghana’s Constitution, individuals equally have the right to protect their reputation from defamatory publications.
To avoid legal action, the lawyers demanded that the article be removed from GhanaWeb’s website, social media platforms, and digital archives, and that a full and unqualified retraction and apology be published.
Following the demand, GhanaWeb subsequently retracted and corrected the publication, removing the claims linking Dr. Agyepong to the alleged investigations.
Dr. Agyepong, a prominent Ghanaian entrepreneur, is widely known as the founder of the Jospong Group of Companies, a conglomerate with interests in sanitation, waste management, ICT, and logistics across several African countries.
