A Military Officer at the Engineering Training School, Warrant Officer Class 1, Stanley Agrah has threatened to take legal action against Adom FM, a member of the Multimedia Group over what he described as a calculated attempt to defame him and damage his image and that of the Ghana Armed Forces.
According to WO1 Agrah, the Accra-based Radio station on November 9, 2020 published a story which “sought to suggest that I, WO1 Stanley Agrah of Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces led a joint Police-Military team to illegally demolish some properties at Afienya Adjumador in the Ningo Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region”
“In the said publication aired on Monday November 9, 2020, one Mr. Jacob Wayo, claiming to be a representative of Royal Rock Investment Limited was on the Adom FM platform through an interview in which he claimed that he was informed that I led a joint Police – Military team to undertake the illegal demolition. In the said interview, it was alleged that, after the demolition, I mounted a sign post with the inscription “Military Property, Keep Off” – WO1 Agrah said in a rejoinder to Adom FM
He stated that “above publication and allegations are total falsehoods calculated to damage my hard-earned reputation”
Setting the record straight he never led any joint Military-Police Team to under take any demolition exercise. He stated that, he purchased a plot of land at the area around 2015 which he had started development in 2020 but about a month into the work, armed land guard started to harass his workers.
“The harassment and intimidation persisted for some days forcing me to lodge an official complaint with my Unit Commanding Officer on August 17, 2020. I and my guarantor also, filed a complaint at the Property Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Services in Accra. Chief Inspector Prah was the officer in charge of the case.”
Armed Land guard
He chastised the media house for failing to do a proper investigations before publishing the story he described as total falsehood.
“On the face of the above facts, I find it scandalous, defamatory and unprofessional for Adom FM to publish the above unsubstantiated allegations against me. The publication is full of malice and intended to tarnish my image and that of the prestigious Ghana Armed Forces.
I again find it very shocking and unethical that Adom FM, its Producers and journalists would air such a one-sided story, without doing due diligence. With this rejoinder, I demand that Adom FM retracts the story and render unqualified apologies to me and the Ghana Armed Forces within 48hours.”
Read his full rejoinder below:
WO1 STANLEY AGRAH
ENGINEER TRAINING SCHOOL
WAJIR BARRACKS
TESHIE-ACCRA
November 23, 2020
The News Editor Adom FM,
Multimedia Group Ltd Accra
Dear Sir,
REJOINDER: WO1 STANLEY AGRAH LED AN ILLEGAL DEMOLITION EXERCISE AT AFIENYA ADJUMADOR
1. My attention has been drawn to a publication on Adom FM, its social media pages, YouTube (https://youtu.be/vtVfHmqa_-s) and on Facebook.
2. The said publication sought to suggest that I, WO1 Stanley Agrah of Southern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces led a joint Police-Military team to illegally demolish some properties at Afienya Adjumador in the Ningo Prampram District in the Greater Accra Region.
3. In the said publication aired on Monday November 9, 2020, one Mr. Jacob Wayo, claiming to be a representative of Royal Rock Investment Limited was on the Adom FM platform through an interview in which he claimed that he was informed that I led a joint Police – Military team to undertake the illegal demolition.
4. In the said interview, it was alleged that, after the demolition, I mounted a sign post with the inscription “Military Property, Keep Off”
5. The above publication and allegations are total falsehoods calculated to damage my hard-earned reputation and I would respond as follows:
i. Sometime in 2015, I purchased a plot of land from Renaissance Real Estate Ltd at Afienya Adjumador in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region
ii. The land Title Certificate of the said parcel of land was awarded to Renaissance Real Estate Ltd dated May 3, 2015.
iii. In August 2020, I decided to develop my plot but upon reaching the land, I realised that an area spanning about ten (10) acres was walled, my plot inclusive with a common access route.
iv. I proceeded to work on my land and after four (4) days of work, some armed land guards numbering about four (4) started harassing and intimidating my workers on the site amidst firing of shots.
v. The harassment and intimidation persisted for some days forcing me to lodge an official complaint with my Unit Commanding Officer on August 17, 2020. I and my guarantor also, filed a complaint at the Property Fraud Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Services in Accra. Chief Inspector Prah was the officer in charge of the case.
vi. After unsuccessful actions by the land guards to stop me from developing my land, they resorted to report me to the Community 25 Police Station, where I was invited.
vii. At the Police Station, I, through my guarantor, tendered in my documents of lawful ownership of the land after which the Police released my workers to go back to site.
viii. When their actions at the Community 25 Police Station failed, they further reported me to the Prampram Police, where I was again invited.
ix. At the Prampram Police Station, I again tendered in my documents upon the request of the Police Commander. It was here that I met Mr. Jacob Wayo as the Complainant. The Police Commander also requested for the documents from Mr. Wayo to help him (The Police Commander) to compare with what I submitted, however, Mr. Wayo failed to tender in his documents. The Prampram Police Commander, after looking through my documents released my workers to go back to site.
x. About a week later, I was called to the Provost Marshall’s office at Burma Camp alleging that I had demolished a fence wall covering about ten (10) acres in the area where my land is located. I then stated to our Provost Marshal that I had no knowledge in the said demolition exercise and that the entire area in question with the affected wall does not belong to me. I showed him my documents covering my plot. I also informed him about how my workers were being harassed and intimidated by armed land guards.
xii. Sometime in October 2020, I was invited by Military Police on the fact that a complaint was lodged against me that I had demolished a fence wall at Afienya Adjumador. I gave my statement to the Military Police after which an investigation was carried out. However, there was no evidence to prove that I was the one who did or led the team for the demolishing.
xiii. As a law-abiding citizen and a Warrant Officer of the Ghana Armed Forces, I wish to re-emphasize that I have no knowledge of the said demolition and I have never led any joint Police-Military team to conduct any demolition at Afienya Adjumador.
On the face of the above facts, I find it scandalous, defamatory and unprofessional for Adom FM to publish the above unsubstantiated allegations against me. The publication is full of malice and intended to tarnish my image and that of the prestigious Ghana Armed Forces.
I again find it very shocking and unethical that Adom FM, its Producers and journalists would air such a one-sided story, without doing due diligence. With this rejoinder, I demand that Adom FM retracts the story and render unqualified apologies to me and the Ghana Armed Forces within 48hours.
If you fail to do as such you would hear from my lawyers as I would seek redress from the law court to help restore my image and that of the Armed Forces.
Yours sincerely,
WO1 Stanley Agrah
CC:
1. Lt Col. E.B. Nyuur
2. Director Army Legal
Ghana Armed Forces
Accra
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com