(MFWA/IFEX) – On 23 January 2007, a High Court in Accra threw out charges against Western Publications, publishers of the “Daily Guide”, a pro-government daily newspaper, its managing editor, Gina Blay, and news editor, Abdul Rahman Gomda, accused of defamation by an opposition politician, Charles Kofi Wayo. The court, presided over by Justice Iris Brown, […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 23 January 2007, a High Court in Accra threw out charges against Western Publications, publishers of the “Daily Guide”, a pro-government daily newspaper, its managing editor, Gina Blay, and news editor, Abdul Rahman Gomda, accused of defamation by an opposition politician, Charles Kofi Wayo.
The court, presided over by Justice Iris Brown, also awarded costs of 2.5 million cedis (approx. $US280) to be paid by the politician.
Justice Brown granted an application filed by the newspaper’s counsel, Godfred Yeboah Dame, for the court to set aside the plaintiff’s charges following Wayo and his counsel’s failure to file an affidavit in opposition to defendants’ applications served them, and also for not showing up in court when the matter was called.
Wayo brought charges of defamation against the newspaper on 16 November 2006 following an article published in the “Daily Guide” with the headline: “Kofi Wayo faces expulsion over fraud, bribery allegations”.
In Wayo’s writ, he sought damages in the amount of one billion cedis (approx. $US100,000) and a perpetual injunction restraining the newspaper from publishing further libellous materials about him.
According to the plaintiff, the article, which appeared on the front-page of the newspaper’s 16 October 2006 edition, was provocative, defamatory and had exposed him to public ridicule.
In the article, the newspaper reported that the executives of newly-formed United Renaissance Party (URP), of which Wayo is a founding member, were considering expelling Wayo over allegations of bribery and corruption levelled against him by one of the party’s activists.
