In a dramatic turn of events, former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Freddie Blay and his son Kwame Blay have filed separate lawsuits against Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, accusing him of making defamatory statements that have damaged their reputation.
Kwame Blay’s suit focuses on his distinct identity and business dealings, denying any involvement with Polo Beach Club or Loic Devos Jnr.
He claims Ablakwa’s statements have harmed his business and reputation, and wonders why a lawmaker would publicly adjudicate a case involving private persons, effectively finding him culpable without a court decision.
Freddie Blay’s suit, which also includes Media General and Johnnie Hughes as defendants, alleges malice and a calculated attempt to ruin his reputation ahead of elections.
He claims the defendants published falsehoods about his family, damaging his reputation. Freddie Blay had earlier issued a one-week ultimatum to Ablakwa, TV3, and Johnnie Hughes to retract the allegations, which he deemed baseless and unfounded.
The controversy surrounds the Labadi Hotel beachfront, a stretch of land operated by various individuals, including the Blay family.
Ablakwa’s allegations have sparked a public debate on state capture and corruption. The lawsuits seek damages and a retraction of the alleged defamatory statements.
The legal action comes after Ablakwa refused to retract his statements, accusing the Blays of state capture and theft of state land.
The cases have sparked a heated debate on the limits of free speech and the responsibilities of public figures. 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 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.
