MICHAEL TETTEH ANGUAH (PLAINTIFF) vs. CENTRE FOR PLANT MEDICINE RESEARCH & 2 OTHERS (DEFENDANTS) [2016]DLHC7220

MICHAEL TETTEH ANGUAH (PLAINTIFF) vs. CENTRE FOR PLANT MEDICINE RESEARCH & 2 OTH... [2016]DLHC7220

Date	2016-11-07
Suit No.	SUIT NO: BMISC/804/2015
Citation No.	[2016]DLHC7220

JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO J

MR. ALEXANDER ADJEI FOR THE PLAINTIFF WITH CLEMENT SAMBO - PRESENT

MR. JOSEPH SAM FOR 1ST DEFENDANT- PRESENT

MR. STEPHEN SAR WITH ALBERT ZIEM-KUNGMAA FOR THE 2ND & 3RD DEFENDANTS – PRESENT

[2016]DLHC7220
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MICHAEL TETTEH ANGUAH<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>CENTRE FOR PLANT MEDICINE RESEARCH &amp; 2 OTHERS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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SUIT NO:
BMISC/804/2015&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 7TH NOVEMBER, 2016<o:p></o:p>

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COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>

MR. ALEXANDER ADJEI FOR THE
PLAINTIFF WITH CLEMENT SAMBO - PRESENT <o:p></o:p>

MR. JOSEPH SAM FOR 1ST DEFENDANT-
PRESENT <o:p></o:p>

MR. STEPHEN SAR WITH ALBERT
ZIEM-KUNGMAA FOR THE 2ND &amp; 3RD DEFENDANTS – PRESENT<o:p></o:p>

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CORAM:<o:p></o:p>

JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO,J<o:p></o:p>

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</div>Law of Evidence – Burden of Proof – Burden
of Producing Evidence – a party cannot win a case in court on an allegation
which he fails to prove or establish. <o:p></o:p>Law of Tort – Defamation – Disclaimer – Whether the published words defamed
the plaintiff as a fraudster and a thief – The test for defamation is not
whether the Plaintiff feels personally insulted or his feelings are hurt. The
test is whether the statement in question tends to lower the reputation of the
Plaintiff in the estimation of ordinary, reasonable, or “right- thinking”
people in the community generally, or exposes him to hatred, contempt or
ridicule. To be actionable the words must be reasonably understood by others in
a defamatory sense. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[A] Introduction: <o:p></o:p>[1] It is indeed true that the balance between free speech and
protection of reputation is an uneasy one. When the Daily Graphic accepted to
publish a disclaimer submitted by the Plant and Medicine Research, the 1st
Defendant herein in or about January 2015, little did it know that it was
setting in motion a chain of events which would lead to a lawyer’s letter for
retraction, an apology and a demand for compensation and ultimately a
defamation lawsuit for a claim in damages. This is an action for defamation by
a former employee of the 1st Defendant Research Centre at Akropong against the
Defendants herein for damages and injunction among others. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[B] The Action <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[2] By a writ of summons filed on the 29th day of May, 2015
the Plaintiff claims against the Defendants the following reliefs: <o:p></o:p>i) A declaration that the publication by the Defendants in the Daily
Graphic of Monday 19th January 2015 is defamatory of the Plaintiff. <o:p></o:p>ii) General Damages for libel</main>