The secretary to the Okyenhene and stool secretary of the Ofori Panin Stool, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, has filed a GHC10 million defamation suit against political activist and member of the Movement for Change (Afranfranto Movement), Hopeson Adorye and Media General, operators of TV 3 and Onua TV.
Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta’s suit follows comments made by Hopeson Adorye on Onua TV on 26 July 2024 when he appeared as a panellist where “he was given the unfettered and unrestrained opportunity and indeed was encouraged to run an unjustified commentary on and amplify a document called Agyapade.”
Adorye’s “defamatory” claims
Adorye, according to the statement of claim, filed in court on 14 August 2024, is quoted to have made various claims to the effect that he knows those who authored the document and the plaintiff, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta, co-authored the said Agyapadeɛ document.
“I know… the name of the writer. His name has been mentioned here. He is my very good friend. I will mention his name to you as we are moving on. I will tell you his name.”
“His name has been mentioned alongside his co- writers and others. They are in charge of certain things. The technical team led by D M Ofori Atta should further evaluate the following details in order to choose the appropriate sites, galamsey.”
“According to this, they have 332 galamsey companies. They are all here, look, Northern Gold Coast Enterprise, so, so, and so, Wassa Amenfi East, Tarkwa Nsuem Municipal. Every district they are there.
“Prestea, Nzema East … they have divided themselves all over. So, who told you that galamsey can be eradicated? Who told you that? It can be eradicated only if there is a change of government. However, they were kicked out of Parliament.
“If that wasn’t the case, a particular family would have been in charge of all royalties and other benefits from our mineral resources. How can we live in a country like this? They have mapped out areas that cover the entire gold deposit in Ghana. They have taken over all these mapped areas. I mentioned it. D M Ofori Atta. It stated that he is a co-writer.”
“He is a friend of mine, and I know him. And if you glance at the page that talks about the hijacking of GBC (laughs), it will never work. Now, the judiciary governance in Ghana (laughs). It has been stated here in the document. Let’s pack the court so that in the next twenty years they be in control,” Hopeson Adorye is quoted to have said.
Contention of Plaintiff
According to the statement of claim filed by Bright Okyere-Agyekum, lawyer for Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta (The Plaintiff), “in their natural and ordinary meaning the document and the commentary and/or amplifications are understood to mean that the plaintiff, the Ofori Panin Fie and Okyeman are conniving, anti-nationalists, saboteurs, corrupt and abusers of public office, among others.”
Ofori-Atta further contends that “he has never authored, co-authored, written, co-written, provided a Forward or any form of contribution towards the publication of the document, any other document, writing or discussion containing similar content as the said document or anything relating thereto and further states that the document does not emanate from Ofori Panin Fie or its subjects.”
The document, according to the statement of claim “is a propagandist piece which did not pass muster, had been in idle circulation for sometime and largely ignored, and has only now been given life by Hopeson Adorye on the Onua TV platform and repeated by Hopeson Adorye and others on other platforms thereafter.”
Reliefs sought
To this end, Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta is praying the court for four reliefs. First, “A declaration that the words uttered bý the Hopeson Adorye on 2nd defendant’s Platform (Onua TV) are defamatory of the Plaintiff.
Second, “recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH$10,000,000.00) as general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation by defendants.
Third, “an apology for and retraction of the words complained of” and lastly, a “perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants (Hopeson Adorye and Media General) whether by themselves, their servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the Plaintiff (Daniel Marfo Ofori-Atta).”
