National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaa has sued the lead convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, for defamation.
In a writ issued on Tuesday, September 26, the lawyers of the Minister, demanded ¢10 million as general damages for alleging that the Ministry attempted to stop his “activism” with a $1 million bribe.
Mr Kan-Dapaah is also demanding “An apology and retraction of the words” by Mr Barker-Vormawor.
The complainant also demanded that there should be a “Perpertual injuction retraining the defedant from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the plaintiff.”
Take $1m and stop the ‘activism’
On September 22, Mr Barker-Vormawor claimed in a statement to journalists that he and his colleagues had turned down an offer made by the Minister of National Security in a secret meeting.
The lead convenor had also posted on X (formerly Twitter), on September 21, alleging that “The cabinet promised us $1 million if only we can stop the demonstration. We rejected!”
The National Security Ministry responded by asking Mr Barker-Vormawor to provide evidence to support his claims.
In a statement issued by the Ministry on Friday, September 22, it acknowledged a meeting with the conveners of the FixTheCountry movement together with Ministers for National Security, Finance, and other relevant stakeholders, in 2021 to listen to their concerns.
However, the Ministry emphasised it had not offered money or appointment as a means to induce the activism of the pressure group.
The Ministry thereby advised the populace to disregard the claims made by Mr Barker-Vormawor.
‘Produce recording of the said inducement‘
The National Security challenged Mr Barker-Vormawor to produce evidence of an alleged attempt by the government to induce him and others with an amount of $1 million so they cease his “activism”.
The Ministry in a statement issued on Friday, September 22 acknowledged a meeting with the conveners of the #FixTheCountry Movement together with Ministers for National Security, Finance, and other relevant stakeholders, in 2021 to listen to their concerns.
It, however, stated emphatically that no offer of money or appointment was made to persuade the group to end its “activism”.
The Ministry, therefore, debunked claims of inducement by Barker-Vormawor.
“The allegations made by Oliver Barker-Vormawor are thus false, unfounded, and a calculated attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians,” portions of the statement clarified.
‘I’ll release audio recording of Kan Dapaah’s $1m offer to silence me’
On Saturday, September 23, Mr Barker-Vormawor accepted the challenge by the Ministry to provide evidence to back his claim of the bribery offer.
According to the lawyer cum activist, he has evidence to his claims and would release it in the public domain after the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
Mr Barker-Vormawor clarified that the meeting he [Oliver Barker-Vormawor] made reference to was an exclusive secret meeting between him and the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah even before the first FixTheCountry protest in 2021.
“The Minister of National Security has issued a statement claiming that I was met with other FixTheCountry conveners and other stakeholders. I want to put it on record that the meeting I am talking about happened exclusively between myself and the Minister for National Security where that offer was made to me.
“I will release an audio into the public domain, which would confirm that the Minister invited me to a secret safe house location, that we should have an individual meeting between him and myself, at which meeting he made that offer to myself. No other FixThecountry convener was involved there,” he revealed on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
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