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

Pope Yao Yevoo, the Volta Regional NPP Secretary, and Emmanuel Quarshie, the Volta Regional NPP Deputy Organiser, have launched a defamation lawsuit against Korsi Bodja, the Volta Regional NPP Organiser.

They are asking the court to force the defendant to withdraw any defamatory remarks and publications made against them in addition to seeking GH1 million in damages for defamation.

In addition, the lawsuit asks the court to compel the defendant to post the apology “with the same equal prominence” and to stop saying or publishing anything negative about the plaintiffs.

The defendant claimed that the plaintiffs intentionally diverted some campaign materials provided to them for further distribution in Ewe communities before the Assin North Constituency bye-election, in a petition that was published by many media outlets, according to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Additionally, they stated that the petition listed the items as having included hair dryers, 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 called the accusation “false and malicious,” which was intended to paint them as “fraudulent and thieves; lacking in honesty; possessed with particularly bad morals of corruption; and dishonesty which is a canker in our social fabric; are persons who cannot be trusted.”

In the lawsuit, Mr. Yevoo and Mr. Quarshie claimed that the “malicious” publishing had hurt and severely diminished their reputations as well as caused them anguish and shame.

The plaintiffs claim that the defendant’s actions have caused them great anguish and humiliation as well as gravely harmed them and “reduced their reputation into discredit, contempt, and reproach reputations.”

Therefore, they are asking the court, among other things, to impose a punishment of one million Ghanaian cedis on the defendant.

“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.