NPP Secretary sues Organiser for defamation; demands GH₵1m damages

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Secretary for the Volta Region, Pope Yao Yevoo and the Volta Regional NPP Deputy Organiser, Emmanuel Quarshie, have filed a defamation suit against the Volta Regional NPP Organiser, Korsi Bodja.

They are demanding GH₵1 million in damages for defamation, and seeking the court to order the defendant to retract defamatory statements and publications made against them.

The suit also prays the court to order the defendant to publish the retraction, “with the same equal prominence” and be restrained from making comments or publishing defamatory statements about the plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs, in the suit, said several media houses published a petition authored by the defendant alleging that they (plaintiffs) deliberately diverted some campaign items given to them for onward distribution in Ewe communities before the Assin North Constituency bye-election.

They further indicated that the petition outlined the materials to have included hairdryers, cutlasses, Wellington boots, head pans, fertilizers, and sewing machines, adding that “if the Volta Regional Secretary is able to oversee the stealing of campaign materials far away Assin North to his home region, what will he not do if he gets hold of same materials in his home region?”

The plaintiffs described the allegation as “false and malicious”, meant to label them as “fraudulent and thieves; lack honesty and are possessed with particularly bad morals of corruption; and dishonesty which is a canker within our social fabric; are persons who cannot be trusted.”

Mr Yevoo and Mr Quarshie in the suit said the “malicious” publication has damaged and drastically reduced their reputation, and caused them distress and embarrassment.

Plaintiffs say that the acts of the defendant have seriously injured and “reduced their reputation into discredit, contempt, and reproach reputations” and caused them considerable distress and embarrassment.

They are, therefore, praying the court to fine the defendant one million Ghana Cedis, among other orders.

“WHEREFORE the Plaintiffs claim against the Defendant as follows;

a. Declaration that the statements and words which were made and published by the Defendant as contained in paragraphs 11, 13 and 14 of the Statement of Claim are defamatory of the Plaintiffs’ character.

b. Damages for defamation in the sum of One Million Ghana Cedis (1,000,000).

c. An order directed at the Defendant to retract the defamatory statements/publications made against the Plaintiffs and publish the retraction with the same equal prominence.

d. An injunction restraining the Defendant from further saying and or publishing defamatory statements about the Plaintiffs”, the suit stated.