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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) Chief Executive, Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpujie, has initiated legal battle against �The Herald�, over the latter�s expose on his complicity in releasing state land (school) at the Kotobabi Cluster of schools to a private developer, who happens to be his cousin, Robert Coleman, for the construction of a modern gambling centre. He is asking the Accra Fast Track High Court Division to award him a sum of GH�4Million for damages caused to his reputation over the two publications, which were headlined, �AMA Boss Sells Government Schools To Gamblers� and �Lazy AMA Boss Caught In Massive Nepotism�, published last month. The writ comes weeks after the AMA chief, issued a directive to this paper�s office by the AMA�s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Nuumo Blafo, ordering �The Herald� to retract and apologize for the two stories. The directive, which was of course not heeded to because of the authenticity of the information that was gathered then, has resulted in the GH�4 million law suit. The suit, issued by the Court on 15 October 2014 and received on Wednesday, will be fought for Dr. Vanderpujie by Solicitors, Lex Mundus & Cencla, represented by Counsel Isaac Agyemang Duah Baffour. The six reliefs being asked are �general damages for libel contained in two articles that AMA Boss Sells Government Schools TO Gamblers and Lazy AMA Boss Caught In Massive Nepotism, an order of perpetual injunction restraining defendants either by themselves or through their assigns, privies, agents and any other party from causing, continuing or publishing, printing and distributing the above defamatory words�. The two others are, �an order directed at defendants to pay Plaintiff Exemplary charges of at least Four Million Ghana (GH4, 000.00) for damage caused to Plaintiff�s reputation, hurt, disgrace and shame caused to Plaintiff�s good repute, an order for Plaintiff costs, including Counsels costs against Defendants. �An order for retracting and apology in Defendant�s Herald Newspaper with the same prominence as the defamatory publication of the 8th and 10th September, 2014, together with four publication on the front and back pages of the Herald Newspaper for four consecutive weeks�. �Any other orders that the Honourable Court deems meet�. Dr Vanderpujie�s particulars of breach are that, �Defendants published such untrue and defamatory words in a sensational manner, defendants knew or ought to have known the words published were false and or in the alternative�. According to him, the �Defendants are in breach of duty of care to Plaintiff in negligence by failing to exercise due care and attention by failing to investigate the truth of the allegations and words before publishing them and that had Defendant met with Plaintiff and or carried out reasonable investigation into the claims and words published by Defendants would have established that the allegations were false�. The AMA boss, is expecting the court to warn The Herald against, �publishing these untrue and defamatory words demonstrated a reckless a disregard as to the libelous nature of the words and have assassinate the character of Plaintiff, have brought Plaintiff shame, embarrassment public disgrace and hurt feeling�. The AMA chief argued that for The Herald �to have published that the Plaintiff had sold lands to his cousin and friends at knock down prices and dissipating state lands, is to infer that Plaintiff is not only deceptively and dishonestly abusing and taking unfair advantage of his position, but also, that his character is corrupt and suspected to be corruptively using his position as Mayor of Accra to engage in corrupt acts, so as to unjustly enrich him. The statement, said that the words and the deductions made by the paper were understood to mean that, the AMA boss is greedy, opportunistic, dishonest, corrupt, not trustworthy abusing his position to the detriment of the people of Ghana as Mayor of Accra dubiously and illegally selling off state lands for his own benefit. The Herald, has meanwhile spoken to its lawyers, and they are ready for a showdown in Court, with the lawyers of the AMA boss. Residents of Kotobabi Down in the Ayawaso Central Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, fuming with rage recently told The Herald about a decision by the AMA to sell portions of the Kotobabi Cluster of schools land to a private developer for the construction a modern gambling center. A visit to the school, revealed brisk construction work ongoing on the state acquired school land. A huge tract of land in the middle of two schools � Kotobabi 7 Junior Secondary School (JHS) and Kotobabi 5 Primary, has been dug by the private developer and concrete is being cast. Dr. Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, the AMA mayor, when spoken to confirmed to The Herald that he was aware of a proposal to develop the state land, but it is currently on his table for consideration. But The Herald discovered during the visit that already, a toilet facility meant for the students and their teachers to ease themselves has been pulled down, with the students and their teachers having no place to defecate in this era of Cholera outbreak, which has claimed over a hundred lives. According to the residents, the land has over the years served as playing field for the students of the school, as well as some members of the community. It unclear how much the developer paid for the land, which measures about the size of a normal football park, and served as playing field for the students of the Kotobabi JHS and Kotobabi Primary School. The Herald�s observation at the site suggested that they would not be any future development in the school, if the project is allowed to be completed. The project, according to the residents, if completed will deny them a gathering center for their social activities including, outdoor games, funerals, church activities, name ceremonies among other things. A banner, ironically hanging on the two-storey dilapidated JHS building claims the land is being used for the construction of a �Wembley Sports Complex� consisting of an Astroturf football field, a Basketball and Table Tennis courts, gymnasium, video game centre, spectators stand and flood lights. The banner mentioned Kademla Company Limited, as the contractors working on the school land. It had the AMA, Ghana Education Service (GES), Ministry of Youth and Sports and Foreign Contractors Reform Sports from Turkey as partners. The AMA Mayor could not readily give the names of the developers, saying the documents on the project were in his office. However, one Robert Coleman said to be the Public�s Relations Officer (PRO) of Zoomlion Waste Management Company limited, a company owned by Joseph Siaw Agyapong, is being mentioned as the developer of the state land, which has over the years served as a football park for the teeming youth of the area. Robert Coleman is said to have spoken about the ongoing construction to many people, including one CK Amoah, a sympathizer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) admitting ownership of the building. Mr. Coleman, who is said to be a cousin to the AMA boss, Dr. Vanderpuije owns a chain of joints that show the various foreign league matches for a fee in the Accra Metropolis, including Mamprobi. Workmen were seen busily working at the site last Saturday, when The Herald visited. Huge quantities of cement were also spotted on the site. Work was hurriedly being carried out as though the contractors want to beat a deadline. A Cesspit tank puller with registration number GR 12-14, was seen pulling the toilet from the collapsed six-seater lavatory that hitherto served as place of convenience for both students and their teachers. When The Herald contacted the AMA boss, he pleaded with the reporter to call him on Monday, for more clarity on the proposal and appeared unaware of the demolished toilet facility and the commencement of work on the gambling center on the school land. He told The Herald that he was only aware of a proposal for the redevelopment of the park into an ultra modern park for the use of the children and the general public, and that the Works Department of AMA, is considering having a public park turned into a modern structure. He further told The Herald that he can fully address issues on the proposal for the redevelopment of the park on a working day. He maintained that the proposal is on his table, but failed to tell this reporter the personalities behind the proposal, stressing that he can only do that on Monday when he gets to the office.