Lawyers for Joseph Siaw Agyepong, chief executive of Jospong Group of Companies, have demanded an immediate retraction and apology from GhanaWeb, an online media platform, over a report they say falsely links him to alleged procurement irregularities at Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).
In a letter dated 4 March, legal firm Kwame Gyan & Associates said an article published by GhanaWeb titled “Ex-COCOBOD chiefs finally face criminal investigations – Report” contained statements that were “grossly defamatory” of their client.
The lawyers said the publication referenced a report by the The Herald and alleged that “some of the procurement deals were awarded to Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the founder of the Jospong Group and owner of Accra-based Metro TV.”
According to the letter, Agyepong denies any involvement in contracts awarded by the previous COCOBOD administration led by Joseph Boahen Aidoo and says neither he nor his affiliated companies are under criminal investigation.
The lawyers also objected to the use of Agyepong’s image alongside other individuals mentioned in the story, saying it created the impression that he was implicated in criminal wrongdoing that caused financial loss to the state.
They described the publication as “misconceived and mischievous” and said it falsely portrayed their client as complicit in financial irregularities and corruption.
“To avoid immediate legal action for defamation, our Client requires that you remove and withdraw immediately the said article from your website, social media pages and other digital archives,” the lawyers wrote.
They also demanded that GhanaWeb publish “a full and unqualified retraction and apology within three (3) days… in a position as prominent as the original publication, stating that the prior statements were false and defamatory.”
The letter warned that failure to comply would lead to legal action to “vindicate his reputation.”
Agyepong, whose conglomerate operates more than 40 subsidiary companies, says the report has damaged his reputation locally and internationally, according to the letter.
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