[2023]DLHC16037 Login to Read Full Case <span style="font-size: 18px !important;"><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">ANAS A. ANAS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align: justify;line-height:115%"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> </span></i><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> (</span></i><i><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:10.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">PLAINTIFF</span></i><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-US"> </span></i><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">Vs<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; color:#00B0F0">KENNEDY AGYEPONG<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-US">(</span></i><i><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">DEFENDANT</span></i><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height: 107%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-ansi-language:EN-US">)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">[</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;">HIGH COURT, ACCRA]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: "Book Antiqua", serif;"> </span></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" style="line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm;mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="en-GH">CIVIL SUIT NO: GT/892/2018 </span> <span lang="en-GH">DATE: WEDNESDAY 15 MARCH 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops: 56.4pt"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%; font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"">COUNSEL<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops: 56.4pt"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">ODEI KROW Esq.<o:p></o:p></span></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="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%;tab-stops: 56.4pt;border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0cm; mso-padding-alt:0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">OKYERE DARKO Esq.<u><o:p></o:p></u></span></p> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;tab-stops:370.5pt"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-US">CORAM<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: 115%;tab-stops:370.5pt"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height: 115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">ERIC BAAH, JUSTICE OF APPEAL<o:p></o:p></span></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%;tab-stops:370.5pt;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"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-ansi-language:EN-US">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> </div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">INTRODUCTION<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">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, ‘’<i>thanks’</i>’ to modern media and communication systems. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">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></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">The plaintiff who identifies himself as a lawyer and ‘<i>’an internationally acclaimed investigative journalist</i>’’ 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></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">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></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:36.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -18.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo8"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Book Antiqua";mso-bidi-font-family:"Book Antiqua"">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: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">CASE OF PLAINTIFF<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">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></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align:justify;line-height:115%"><span lang="en-GH" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Book Antiqua",serif">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></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left:54.0pt;text-align:justify;text-indent: -36.0pt;line-heigh