[2005]DLHC7393 • July 28, 2005 • High Court
DR KWAME ADDO-KUFUOR vs. EBENEZER JOSIAH & ANOTHER
The plaintiff, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, a prominent medical doctor and Minister for Defence, was libeled by the defendants through a series of publications in the National Democrat Newspaper accusing him falsely of involvement in serial killings of women in Accra between 1999 and 2000. The defendants published defamatory articles linking the plaintiff to the convicted murderer Charles Quansah and others, alleging he imported syringes used in the killings. The plaintiff denied these allegations and sued for libel and an injunction against further defamatory publications. The 1st defendant, editor Ebenezer Josiah, admitted inability to defend the allegations and the 2nd defendant, the printer and publisher 'DDD' Publications, was untraceable and did not appear in court.
read more"The Plaintiff is the brother of the President of the Republic of Ghana. He is a man of repute in his own right. He is the Minister for Defence of Ghana and a Member of Parliament for Manhyia Constituency in Asante. Indeed, he has been re-elected to Parliament on three occasions. At a Point he acted as the Minister of Interior. Aside of his high official ranking, the Plaintiff is a Medical Doctor and the former President of the Ghana Medical Association. He was a lecturer at the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Such is the very enviable and respectable reputation of the Plaintiff—a reputation, which very few men attain in real life and most men, attain in their dreams. Sadly, the reputation of the Plaintiff was shamelessly and without any basis whatsoever, wickedly attacked by the defendants". These were the opening paragraphs of the written address filed by counsel for the plaintiff for the consideration of the court in its assessmen.....