Court dismisses Spio-Garbrah’s defamation case against Wontumi
A Kumasi human rights court has dismissed a defamation suit filed against the Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako alias Chairman Wontumi by a National Democratic Congress (NDC) stalwart Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah.
The former trade minister had sued Chairman Wontumi for allegedly making defamatory statements against him during a live political show on Wontumi TV in September 2020.
He said the comments made by the Ashanti regional NPP chairman had woefully derailed his reputation and prayed to the court for a compensation of a minimum of US$10 million.
The court presided over by His Lordship George Krofa Addae on Thursday (28 July) dismissed the case describing Wontumi’s comments as not malicious, hence the suit lacked merit.
The lawyer for the plaintiff, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo disagreed with the ruling and has subsequently filed an appeal to overturn the judge’s verdict.
“We went to court with our case,” he said. “The court has given its judgement, we disagree with the judgement, and it’s our right so to do, we think that the judgement flies in the face of the evidence adduced in court.”
“So, we have the instructions of our client to go on an appeal, and so we are immediately filing our processes to appeal not only the decision, but the cost that was awarded against our client, we feel it’s excessive and out of place, and so we are going to deal with both the substance of the case and the cost that was awarded,” Addo said.
