Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has sued Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited for GH¢15 million over an alleged defamatory “extortionist” tag.
The defamation suit, filed at the Accra High Court, follows an escalating public dispute between the Minority Leader and the GoldBod CEO over GoldBod’s operations and reported losses associated with the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
Afenyo-Markin is seeking damages, a public apology, a retraction of the alleged defamatory statements and an injunction preventing the defendants from repeating the allegations.
Also read: Afenyo-Markin challenges accusers to report extortion claims to authorities
The suit relates to comments allegedly made by Sammy Gyamfi during the August 22, 2026 edition of JoyNews’ Newsfile programme.
According to the statement of claim, Gyamfi described Afenyo-Markin as an extortionist while responding to questions concerning the Minority Leader’s criticisms of GoldBod and the reported losses under the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The plaintiff argues that the statement is defamatory and created the impression that he habitually engages in extortion, improperly uses his political influence to pressure public institutions and abuses the authority associated with his position.
Afenyo-Markin has denied the allegations and is asking the court to determine the matter.
In the lawsuit, Afenyo-Markin is seeking several reliefs from the defendants.
These include general, aggravated and exemplary damages for libel, as well as GH¢15 million in compensation.
He is also seeking an order compelling the defendants to issue a full, unconditional and unequivocal retraction of the alleged defamatory statements.
The Minority Leader wants the apology to be published with substantially the same prominence and reach as the original publication.
He is further seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory claims.
Legal costs and any other relief the court considers appropriate have also been requested.
The Afenyo-Markin defamation suit is the latest development in a growing political and financial dispute involving the Minority Leader and the GoldBod CEO.
On August 18, Afenyo-Markin raised concerns over GoldBod and cited a reported US$1.7 billion loss associated with the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
Gyamfi subsequently rejected the criticisms and defended GoldBod’s financial performance.
He pointed to GoldBod’s audited 2025 financial statements, which, according to the claims outlined in the source material, showed an operational surplus of GH¢907 million.
The disagreement subsequently became increasingly personal, with both sides exchanging strong accusations over the interpretation of GoldBod’s financial position and the reported losses.
Multimedia Group Limited, the operator of JoyNews and Joy FM, has also been named as a defendant in the case.
Afenyo-Markin alleges that the media company facilitated the publication and distribution of the comments through its broadcast and online platforms.
According to the statement of claim, recordings of the programme were subsequently circulated on social media platforms, including X, Facebook and YouTube, which the plaintiff says further increased the alleged damage to his reputation.
The lawsuit therefore places both the alleged speaker and the media organisation before the court.
In the statement of claim, Afenyo-Markin denies that he is an extortionist or has ever engaged in extortion.
He argues that the allegation is particularly damaging because of his position as a lawyer, a fourth-term Member of Parliament and former Third Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.
The Minority Leader further alleges that the statement was published maliciously and that the use of the term extortionist was deliberate.
He contends that the allegation was repeated even after the programme host questioned Gyamfi about the statement.
These claims are contained in the plaintiff’s case and have yet to be determined by the court.
Afenyo-Markin announced the legal action when Parliament resumed on Monday, August 24, 2026, as part of its emergency sitting.
He expressed confidence that the court would eventually determine the matter based on the evidence presented by the parties.
“I have every confidence that in the fullness of time the court will make the appropriate determination,” he said.
The case now moves into the judicial process, where the parties will have the opportunity to present their respective positions.