Hearing Slated For Jan 14 In Case Between Mahama, Wontumi

Lawyers for both sides of the case in which Mr Ibrahim Mahama, younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama, has sued the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, for defamimg him yesterday agreed to adjourn the case to January 14, 2015 for hearing. This is because the presiding judge for the Kumasi High Court, Justice Ringo Azumah, who was to hear the case, is indisposed. After waiting for hours till around 10.30 a.m, both lawyers, Mr Charles William Zwennes for Mr Mahama and Mr Kwabena Attah Adjei, who was holding brief for Mr Egbert Faibille, for Mr Antwi-Bosiako, left the court. A number of journalists and some friends and relations of both the plaintiff and the defendant left the court when they were told by the two lawyers that they had both agreed on the January 14, 2015 date because the judge was indisposed. Damages Mr Mahama is seeking GH�2 million in damages. Mr Antwi-Bosiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, is alleged to have made remarks about Mr Mahama, who is also a businessman and major shareholder in Engineers and Planners, suggesting that he was a thief and a dishonest man with criminal tendencies, who, together with President Mahama, has been increasing fuel prices and stashing the proceeds in banks in South Africa. Mr Mahama is thus urging the court, presided over by Justice Azumah, to compel Mr Antwi-Bosiako to render a full and an unqualified apology to him and to retract the defamatory statement made in all newspapers and tabloids in which the statements were repeated. Claim In his statement of claim, Mr Mahama said Mr Antwi-Bosiako alleged at a public forum in Obuasi on March 30, 2014 that �President Mahama and his brother Ibrahim have loaded the money into their pockets. Each and every day they increase petrol prices and then you and I, the downtrodden, suffer to pay for the increases.� He said Chairman Wontumi claimed that he (Mr Mahama) was involved in government�s decision to hike fuel prices which happened on daily basis and was done to feed the continuous stealing practice engaged in with his brother, President Mahama. �That the plaintiff uses the Engineers and Planners� aeroplane each week to cart his ill-gotten gains realised from his daily practice of stealing from the Republic of Ghana out of the Republic of Ghana to South Africa,� Mr Ibrahim Mahama claimed as stated by Chairman Wontumi.