<<Print>>Former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation -GNPC, has sued Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond for what he describes as "defamatory statements he has been making against me."
According to the statement signed by Mr. Tsikata himself, it said in part that "I have had a writ issued in the High Court against the Member of Parliament of Adansi Asokwa, Hon. K.T Hammond for defamatory statements against me that have been given extensive publicity."
He said "In a radio interview recently, Hon. K.T Hammond, who was Deputy Minister for Energy in that period falsely claimed that I must have been paid some entitlements. He will now have the opportunity in court to justify this and other false and defamatory statements he has been making against me."
The writ comes on the back of recent reports in the media made by the former Deputy Energy Minister and Member of Parliament of Adansi Asokwa, K.T Hammond who claimed that Mr. Tsikata and his wife, Ms Esther Cobbah were paid 1 million cedis and 600,000 cedis respectively for their services at GNPC.
Ms Cobbah denied the allegations in a statement she issued last week adding that not even her provident fund contribution had been paid to her.
In the writ filed by Mr. Tsikata he said "after twelve years of service to the GNPC, as Chief Executive, even salary payments during a period when i was on leave in 2001 were not made to me. My entitlements to the Provident Fund were never paid - not even my own contributions.
"No end of service benefits of any sort were ever paid. A letter i wrote to the Chairman of the Board of Directors at the time was not answered."
The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation-GNPC released a statement categorically stating that they had paid two former Chief Executives and two other persons their 'deserved' ex-gratia but fell short of disclosing the exact amounts paid.
The Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament summoned the management of GNPC to come and answer for the said payments. They are to appear later this week with documentation of the payments and justify the reasoning of the payments.