Ayariga sues PNC national treasurer
The presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC) in the 2012 presidential election, Mr Hassan Ayariga, has sued the former Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Mr David Apasera, before the Fast Track High Court for defamation of his character.
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Mr Ayariga is claiming exemplary damages of GH¢1,000,000 and also praying the court to restrain Mr Apasera and his agents from further publishing articles which are defamatory to him.
Mr Chris Acummey, lawyer for Mr Ayariga, who filed the suit, told the Daily Graphic that the writ of summons, issued on February 14, 2014, had been served on Mr Apasera.
In his statement of claim, the plaintiff said starting from February 6, 2014, business partners, friends, relations and some politicians drew his attention by phone calls to the publication of a defamatory story about him in the Ghanaian media, alleging that he had embezzled GH¢1,600 meant for the party’s campaign in the 2012 presidential election.
The statement also said the defamatory story disclosed that the money was a donation to the party, which the plaintiff received on its behalf, to be used to pay the party agents who policed the 2012 elections, but the agents had still not been paid.
It said Mr Apasera, who is currently the National Treasurer of the PNC, and his group further published that the plaintiff was given two V8 Land Cruisers, pickups and other cars which he had been keeping in his house as his personal property.
According to the statement, in spite of his plaintiff’s denials, the defendant and his cohort, one Adam Akane, became uncontrollable and went from one radio station to another to further destroy his hard-won reputation and honour.
It said the publications meant that Ayariga had willfully, maliciously and fraudulently kept money and cars belonging to the PNC to himself, which had affected the chances of the PNC in winning the 2012 elections.
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It said the publication also sought to reveal that the plaintiff had embezzled money belonging to the PNC and meant for the 2012 elections and to that extent, he could and ought not be trusted in any capacity to lead or be the presidential candidate of the PNC in future presidential elections.
It noted that the defendant and his cohorts had mapped out various strategies and must be restrained by the court from his evil intention since all these publications were calculated to make the plaintiff lose favour with the delegates of the PNC and the electorate of Ghana, thereby injuring his political career.
It would be recalled that in the February 7, 2014 issue of the Daily Graphic, Mr Hassan Ayariga advised members of his party not to tarnish the image of hard-working members of the party for political gains.
He dismissed allegations of embezzlement, adding that he was not accountable to the party for money dispensed during the 2012 elections. His comments came on the heels of allegations by the Treasurer, Mr Apasera, that he had taken and was hoarding party cars and money.
According to Mr Apasara, Mr Ayariga received a number of cars, including Land Cruisers and pickups, as well as different amounts of money as donation to the party but he kept all of them.
Mr Apasera’s accusations against Mr Ayariga follow demands by a youth group in the party, Convention Forum, for the party’s leaders to account for GH¢1.6 million of campaign funds meant for the 2012 elections.
Hassan Ayariga conceded receiving some money from brothers and friends for his campaign just as his other presidential candidates but he did not receive money and vehicles on behalf of the party, and added that all expenses for his 2012 campaign, without a cedi from the party, were borne by him.
According to Mr Ayariga, he was compelled to close down all his three restaurants because he had to channel funds from those personal businesses into his campaign.