SYLVIA ASANA OWU (MRS) vs. 3G CONSULT AND HALIFAX ANSAH-ADDO [2019]DLHC6813

Date	2019-03-01
Suit No.	SUIT NO: GJ/653/2018
Citation No.	[2019]DLHC6813

HIS LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO

MS. YINSONTI TINDANA H/B OF THADDEUS SORY FOR THE APPLICANT

DEBORAH ASABRE AMEYAW H/B OF ALEX AFENYO MARKIN FOR THE DEFENDANTS /RESPONDENTS

[2019]DLHC6813
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >SYLVIA ASANA OWU (MRS)<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/APPLICANT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>3G CONSULT AND HALIFAX
ANSAH-ADDO<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANTS/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[HIGH COURT (GENERAL JURISDICTION DIVISION, COURT 6),
ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SUIT
NO: GJ/653/2018 &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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;DATE: 1ST
MARCH, 2019<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>MS.
YINSONTI TINDANA H/B OF THADDEUS SORY FOR THE APPLICANT <o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

DEBORAH
ASABRE AMEYAW H/B OF ALEX AFENYO MARKIN FOR THE DEFENDANTS /RESPONDENTS <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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HIS
LORDSHIP JUSTICE KWEKU T. ACKAAH-BOAFO<o:p></o:p>

</div><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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</div>i.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Introduction/Overview of Facts:<o:p></o:p>[1]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Plaintiff’s Writ of Summons together with the Statement
of Claim was filed on April 26, 2018.&nbsp; The Court entered Interlocutory
Judgment in favour of the Plaintiff on July 16, 2018 because the Defendants
failed to file their Statement of Defence after an Appearance was entered by
their lawyer – Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin. Further to an application to
set aside the default judgment the Court granted the Defendants leave to file
their statement of Defence out of time on December 6, 2018. Consequently, the
Statement of Defence was filed on December 18, 2018.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[2]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The essence of the Plaintiff’s claim of defamation is that
the 2nd Defendant who is the editor of a newspaper known as “The Publisher”
owned or published by the 1st Defendant by a publication on Wednesday 11th to
Thursday, 12th April 2018 published or caused to be published a story
concerning the Plaintiff of statements alleging fraud and dishonesty on her
part in signing a contract in her official capacity as the Deputy Chief
Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Council. The Plaintiff contends that
the statements under the headline; “STINKING
DEAL FOR GHANA…AS DEPUTY ASANA SNUBS BOSS &amp; SIGNS DEAL” constitute
defamation.&nbsp; The force of the allegations, and their tenor, according to
the Plaintiff are understood to mean that she abused and misused her official
position and therefore unfit and not deserving of the trust and confidence
reposed in her by her employers, the Ghana Shippers Authority. <o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[3]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Following
the filing of the Defendants’ 19 paragraph Statement of Defence the Plaintiff
through her Counsel has filed the instant Notice of Motion pursuant to Order 11 Rule 18 (1) (a) of the High
Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2004, C.I. 47 praying this Court for an
order striking out certain paragraphs, specifically paragraphs 2, 4, 6, 8, 9,
10, 11, 13, 14,16, 17 and 18 of the joint Statement of Defence of the 1st and 2nd
Defendants/Respondents on the grounds that they “discloses no reasonable
defence”.<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>ii.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Arguments in favour of the Application:<o:p></o:p>[4]&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Arguing
the motion, learned Counsel for the Plaintiff/Applicant, Ms. Yinsonti Tindana
holding the brief of Mr. Thaddeus Sory first prayed the Court to strike out the
paragraphs listed in the motion paper&nbsp; on
the&nbsp; grounds that they disclose no
reasonable defence pursuant to Order 11
Rule 18 (1)(a). Explaining further,
Learned Counsel submitted that the impugned paragraphs are twelve (12) in total
out of the 19 paragraphs that make up the statement of defence. According to
Counsel out of the 12, six (6) being paragraphs 8, 10, 11, 14, 16 and 18 are
just denials of the Plaintiff’s averments in paragraphs 12, 16, 17, 19, 22, 23,
25 and 26 of the Statement of Claim. According to Learned Counsel, they contain
no part</main>