Lawyers for Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin have rejected claims that their client is avoiding service of a writ on Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi, insisting that the defendant has already been validly served.
In a statement dated Saturday, August 29, 2026, Dehyena Chambers, counsel for Mr Afenyo-Markin, said the writ was served on Mr Gyamfi’s lawyers after they formally notified the High Court that they had his “express instructions and authority” to accept service on his behalf.
According to the lawyers, the writ in the defamation suit was filed on August 24, 2026.
They said on August 26, Ayine & Partners, the law firm representing Mr Gyamfi, wrote to the Registrar of the High Court informing the court of its authority to accept service of the writ and accompanying processes on behalf of the GoldBod CEO.
A bailiff subsequently served the writ on the lawyers, Dehyena Chambers said.
However, the lawyers alleged that on August 27, Mr Gyamfi’s lawyers returned the writ to the court registry, claiming that their client had changed his mind about allowing them to accept service.
The statement further alleged that when the bailiff attempted personal service on Mr Gyamfi at his office the same day, he refused to accept the writ and instructed his security personnel to remove the bailiff from the premises.
Dehyena Chambers argued that under Ghanaian civil procedure, the responsibility for serving a defendant lies with the court registry and not the plaintiff.
The lawyers further cited Order 7, Rule 12(2) of the High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules, 2004 (C.I. 47), which they said provides that a writ is duly served when delivered to a lawyer who has undertaken in writing to accept service on behalf of a client.
“Accordingly, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi has been validly served,” the lawyers said.
They added that Mr Gyamfi is therefore required to enter an appearance and file his defence to the suit.
The dispute follows public exchanges between Mr Afenyo-Markin and Mr Gyamfi over GoldBod and reported losses associated with the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
Mr Afenyo-Markin, who is also the Member of Parliament for Effutu, announced on the floor of Parliament on August 24 that he had initiated legal proceedings against Mr Gyamfi and media organisations over comments describing him as an “extortionist”.
The suit filed at the Accra High Court seeks general, aggravated and exemplary damages, including GH¢15 million in compensation, as well as a retraction and apology over the alleged defamatory statements. It also seeks an order restraining the defendants from repeating the alleged defamatory claims.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has separately said it will assess allegations of extortion made by Mr Gyamfi against Mr Afenyo-Markin to determine whether the matter falls within its statutory mandate and whether further investigative action is warranted.
The latest dispute over service of the writ comes after Mr Gyamfi’s lawyers publicly indicated their readiness to accept service. In a letter dated August 26, Ayine & Partners informed the High Court that they had received Mr Gyamfi’s express instructions and authority to accept the writ and accompanying processes on his behalf.