ANAS A. ANAS vs. KENNEDY AGYEPONG [2023]DLHC12174

Date	2023-03-15
Suit No.	CIVIL SUIT NO: GT/892/2018
Citation No.	[2023]DLHC12174

ERIC BAAH J.A

ODEI KROW Esq. for plaintiff

OKYERE DARKO Esq. for defendant

[2023]DLHC12174
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >ANAS A. ANAS<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>KENNEDY AGYEPONG<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">CIVIL
SUIT NO: GT/892/2018&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;DATE:
15th&nbsp; MARCH 2023<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>ODEI KROW
Esq., for plaintiff,<o:p></o:p><div style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none; border-image: initial; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; padding: 0cm 0cm 1pt;">

OKYERE DARKO Esq., for defendant<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>ERIC BAAH, JUSTICE OF APPEAL, SITTING AS
AN ADDITIONAL <o:p></o:p>HIGH COURT JUDGE&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <o:p></o:p><div style="border-top-width: 1.5pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-left: none; border-bottom-width: 1.5pt; border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-right: none; padding: 1pt 0cm;">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0cm 1.0pt 0cm">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>&nbsp;INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p>This,
no doubt, is a judgment on a mammoth case. It is so by reason firstly of the
personalities involved, secondly by the nature of the issues around which the
case revolves and thirdly, by reason of the expected wide reach of the
accusations of the defendant and the responses by the plaintiff resulting in
this suit, ‘’thanks’’ to modern media and communication systems. <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff and defendant are national figures of varied degrees of reputation
and popularity. It cannot be doubted that a stain on the reputation of the
plaintiff; if the accusations of defendant are untrue, unfair, and unjustified,
would have been far reaching. The damage to be caused the credibility and
standing of the defendant will also be damning, should it turn out that he made
the serious and widespread allegations knowing them to be false, inaccurate,
unfair, or unjustified.<o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff who identifies himself as a lawyer and ‘’an internationally
acclaimed investigative journalist’’ with several local and international
awards and stated recognitions, per his lawful attorney, approached the court
on 18 June 2018, seeking redress in the form of monetary damages, the quantum
of twenty-five million Ghana cedis, for the tortious offence of libel,
allegedly committed against him by the defendant, by reason of which his name,
reputation and image has been critically damaged. <o:p></o:p>Plaintiff
identified the defendant as the member of parliament for Assin Central
constituency, owner of Kencity Media and a proprietor of a television station
and several radio stations. The writ of summons issued by the plaintiff on the
said 18 June 2018, was amended on 20 November 2018. Defendant entered (a
conditional) appearance on 3 July 2018, and followed it up with a statement of
defence on 13 November 2018. Plaintiff’s reply was filed on 21 January 2019.
With the pleadings set, the cases of the parties were as below.<o:p></o:p>&nbsp;A.<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
CASE OF PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p>Plaintiff’s
case is founded on several statements and comments defendant made on different
dates and on varied media platforms allegedly in reference to plaintiff, which
plaintiff asserts, amounts to defamation. The dates, media platforms on which
the statements were made, and the specific words of the defendant have been
pleaded and particularized by plaintiff in the amended statement of claim.<o:p></o:p>The
effects of the words published by defendant, as perceived by plaintiff in their
natural and ordinary meaning; and in his view the audience who heard them, have
been outlined in paragraph 15 of the amended statement of claim. According to
plaintiff, the words which referred to him were meant and understood to mean
that:<o:p></o:p>i.<span style="font-style: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
The plaintiff is a self-confessed thief.<o:p></o:p>