In two separate lawsuits, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Freddie Blay, and his son, Kwame Blay, have sued Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, for defamatory publications made against them, falsely implicating them in the supposed theft of State property.
While the suit by Kwame Blay is against only Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Freddie Blay’s suit, in addition to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, includes Media General and Johnnie Hughes.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Okudzeto Ablakwa had earlier indicated that the former National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Freddy Blay can go to court on the issues of the acquisition of Labadi Hotel Beach Front.
According to the MP, Mr. Blay would not get any retraction from him.
Former National Chairman of the governing NPP Freddy Blay has issued a one-week ultimatum to North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Management of TV3, and Johnnie Hughes to retract what he calls baseless and unfounded allegations levelled against him and his family.
The GNPC Board Chair who is incensed over the accusation of his family’s involvement in a state capture insists that “my children have legitimately acquired certain portions of the Beach Front from the LA Council and where they are operating doesn’t belong to the management of Labadi Beach hotel,” adding that the North Tongu MP is engaging in “cheap propaganda and to court public opprobrium against my sons.”
The Labadi Hotel beach front which is a stretch of land that many individuals are operating as a source of entertainment has in recent times become a subject of controversy after the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa alleged that a grand scheme of state capture is being perpetuated by top NPP officials.
In summary:
First suit
Kwame Blay, in his suit against Okudzeto Ablakwa, emphasizes that he is a distinct personality from his brother, Kwaw, and by extension and implication, his business dealings. He states categorically that he has never been involved in any way or manner in the activities of Polo Beach Club or any entity affiliated to Polo Beach Club, and has no interest or stake in them as well. He further states that he has never dealt with Loic Devos Jnr, the man who is currently involved in a dispute in court with one of his brother’s businesses, Press Xpress. He concludes that the claim by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, that he had stolen state land and has ‘elbowed’ was involved in a scheme to cheat Loic is totally false, and has greatly affected his business and reputation. Kwame further wondered why a lawmaker, who should be expected to know better, would so publicly seek to adjudicate a case involving two private persons, which is presently the subject of court proceedings in a manner seeking to cause public disaffection for one of the parties and also go on to essentially find his brother culpable when the court has yet to make its decision.
In the second lawsuit by Freddie Blay against Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Johnnie Hughes and Media General, Freddie Blay claims that Okudzeto’s actions and utterances were actuated by malice because we are close to elections and that it is a calculated attempt to ruin his hard-earned reputation. Since the information published about his sons and his family is utterly false.
Freddie in his suit also claims that Media General and Jonny Hughes also published untruths calculated to ruin his strong-won reputation. He indicates that Johnnie Hughes, latching onto the statements by Okudzeto, took to his Johnnie’s Bite program, and denigrated him to a point where you would think that he, Johnnie Hughes was speaking to something factual and that this irresponsible act of Johnnie Hughes has on its own, further brought his reputation into disrepute.
