Deputy AG sues banker over 'defamatory' Facebook post
The Deputy Attorney-General and Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga East, Dr Dominic Ayine, has filed a defamation suit at an Accra High Court against an Investment banker and Economist, Mr Evron Hughes, for comments he made regarding the $510 million Ameri Power deal, which the MP deems libellous.
Advertisement
In Mr Ayine’s statement of claim, sighted by Graphic Online, he accused Mr Hughes of defaming him in a post he authored and published on Facebook on December 21, 2015, titled “RE: AMERI TRANSACTION”.
According to the Deputy A-G, the “false and malicious” post has provoked “public disaffection” against him and exposed him to public ridicule and contempt.
Describing Mr Hughes as a “self-styled social media blogger and a social commentator”, Dr Ayine said the Facebook post had brought his hard-won reputation “as a respected politician, teacher and lawyer” into “hatred, ridicule, odium, discredit, contempt, opprobrium and reproach”.
The Deputy A-G said the “defamatory words” were authored with the sole intent to reduce him in the estimation of all right thinking Ghanaians, adding that he had received numerous calls from his constituents, lawyers and party members all expressing concern about the publications.
Dr Ayine, therefore, sought the following reliefs from the court:
1. A declaration that the publications to the effect that Plaintiff is corrupt, a thief and fraudulent, are defamatory of Plaintiff.
2. General damages for libel against Defendant for publishing the aforesaid words of and concurring in Plaintiff in his Facebook posts.
3. An order of the Honourable Court directed at the Defendant to publish a retraction and an apology with the same prominence as the defamatory words in the Facebook posts.
4. An injunction restraining the Defendant whether by themselves, their servants or agents or otherwise from authorizing permitting and/or causing to be published the same or similar words defamatory of the Plaintiffs.
5. Costs including lawyer’s fees.