The alleged militia, De-Eye Group, has sued journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and his employer, demanding 10 million cedis as compensation for alleged defamation contained in his documentary, ‘militia in the heart of the nation’.
In a writ issued at the High Court Wednesday, the group said “without any reasonable, just or probable cause,” Manasseh claimed in his documentary that De-Eye Group was operating a militia in connivance with the New Patriotic Party administration.
That, according to De-Eye Group, was “slanderous and defamatory,” hence praying the court to order Manasseh and the Multimedia Group to “render and unqualified apology” to the group and give it the same prominence as it did the documentary.
The said apology should also be published in the Daily Graphic four times, the group asked.
Again, the group is seeking an injunction from the court to stop the Manasseh and the Multimedia Group as well as their agents from continuous airing of the said defamatory documentary.
They have also asked the court for general damages.
The documentary, produced by Manasseh Azuri and broadcasted last week by the Multimedia Group, has since attracted varied reaction with the government distancing itself from the group which it described as job placement entity.
Some men and women dressed in suits were captured on secret camera undergoing drills at the Osu Castle, which was said to be an annex of the Presidency. The facility was described as being in a security zone in the documentary.
With membership of about 5,000 nationwide, the group has Nana Wireko Addo, former bodyguard of president Nana Akufo-Addo as its commander, and were said to have been used on some occasions for unspecified security operations outside Accra.
But government said there was no militia or vigilante group operating from the Osu Castle in Accra as was suggested in the investigative documentary.
“There is no militia or vigilante group operating from the castle,” Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told journalists last Friday at a news conference to comment on the matter.
“…they are in the business of helping people find jobs,” he stated, adding “This is an important fact which government believes had to be stated to viewers and listeners”.