Ex-Amnesty Boss, Boroh, Threatens Legal Action Over Alleged Libel

TRACKING____A former presidential adviser and coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Brig Gen Paul Boroh (rtd), has refuted a publication in the media claiming that $9million cash was found in his residence.

The report, published in a national newspaper (not LEADERSHIP) had claimed that the sum of N40million found in a separate bank account was returned, and that Boroh was involved in replacing the actual names with over 4,000 ghost beneficiaries of the programme.

But General Boroh, while refuting the report, noted that at no time was the sum of $9 million cash or any other sum found in his residence.
Accordingly, he threatened to institute a libel suit against the media organization if it refuses to retract the said report through print, electronic and internet media as well as a letter of apology to him through the same medium within 72 hours.

In a statement by his legal team led by R.E. Wanogho, the former presidential aide stated that at no time did any such event regarding a claim that the sum of N40million or any other sum found in a sep-arate bank account was returned as reported.

The statement noted that, “We are attorneys to Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh(rtd). (our client, hereinafter) on whose instruction and behalf we write to register our client’s strong reservations and protest against your publication on the front page and at page 27 of the above dated Saturday Sun newspaper that was also widely republished and circulated by you on the internet, especially as it concerns our client”.

“The lopsided nature of your above referenced publication is exacerbated by your own admission that you did not (in the spirit and practice of true journalism) hear our client’s own side of the story before rushing to press with such weighty allegations against him and your only excuse for this grave omis-sion was that all efforts to speak with the indicted former public officials failed”.

“No attempts or effort whatsoever, were made by the publication or (any of its reporters) to contact him for his side of the story and apparently also no efforts were made to establish the veracity of the story before putting it out for public consumption.

“We are unable to appreciate the urgency that fueled the haste in the publication such that it could not wait for you to verify and ascertain its veracity. However, be informed that in the course of your opting to hasten to publish, you have thereby defamed and severely damaged the reputation of our client and lowered his estimation in the eyes of right thinking members of the public.”