The Member of Parliament for the Tarkwa Nsuem constituency, George Mireku Duker, has sued the Dompim-Pepesa chief, Nana Nyowah Panyin IV, for defamation after claims the MP was involved in illegal mining.

Also cited in the October 14 lawsuit are the Multimedia Group and the Class Media Group.

The comments the MP deems defamatory were made on Joy FM and Accra FM.

Mr. Mireku Duker, who is also the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, wants the persons he has sued to retract and apologise for their role in spreading the claims.

In addition, he wants GH¢10 million as well as aggravated damages from the publication of the allegations by the two media companies.

Nana Nyowah Panyin IV also cited the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, when making his claims about illegal mining activity in the Western Region.

“The words complained off are absolutely false, products of the defendants’ imagination and were mischievously designed by the defendant to disparage him, stain his reputation, court public disaffection for him and to bring him into abhorrence in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public and the global community,” Mr. Mireku Duker’s lawsuit said.

The MP maintains that his reputation has been “violently damaged” and his chances of winning the next election have suffered.

He also said the two stations did not give him a chance to respond to the allegations.

Since the lawsuit was filed, Joy News has published an apology to Mr. Mireku Duker and Mr. Darko-Mensah.

SOURCE: CITINEWS