(MFWA/IFEX) – On 12 December 2006, the former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, appealed against an Accra High Court ruling that exonerated Western Publications Limited, publishers of the privately-owned “Daily Guide” newspaper, managing editor Gina Blay, and former deputy editor Ebenezer Ato Sam of defamation. According to Nana Agyeman Rawlings, the trial […]
(MFWA/IFEX) – On 12 December 2006, the former First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, appealed against an Accra High Court ruling that exonerated Western Publications Limited, publishers of the privately-owned “Daily Guide” newspaper, managing editor Gina Blay, and former deputy editor Ebenezer Ato Sam of defamation.
According to Nana Agyeman Rawlings, the trial judge, Iris May Brown, erred in her interpretation of the law and subsequently incorrectly interpreted the evidence presented, to the plaintiff’s disadvantage.
Nana Agyeman Rawlings is therefore asking the appeal court to set aside the ruling of Justice Brown of the High Court and to reverse the judgment in her favour. She is also seeking damages.
On 16 November 2006, an Accra High Court exonerated the journalists of the three libel charges brought against them by Agyeman Rawlings in relation to an article published on 6 July 2005, headlined: “Milking the Sacred Cow, Konadu Owes C2.8 billion to the State”.
The defendants have always denied culpability and argued that what they had published was fair comment on a matter of public interest. The matter is yet to be called.
