Ga Mantse awarded GH¢500,000 as general damages in a libel suit

A Fast Track High Court in Accra on Thursday awarded GH¢500,000 as general damages to Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah III in a libel suit filed against Emmanuel Tackie Yaboi, who hold himself as the Dzasetse.

The court presided over by Mr Justice Edward A. Asante further ordered Yaboi to pay GH¢10,000 as cost.

This was after the court had found Yaboi guilty of defaming the Ga Mantse in a press statement issued in Accra.

In the said statement dated April 17, 2009, Yaboi alleged that “the Ga Mantse had stopped at nothing including falsifying the signature of President John Evans Atta Mills in a letter purporting to acknowledge him as the Ga Mantse and President of the Ga Traditional Council.”

Yaboi was given the opportunity to retract the said defamatory publication but declined to do so.

The court in its decision ruled that it found the statements of the Dzasetse as false and malicious considering the calibre and the position he had served including positions the King had held at the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).

The Ga Mantse in his statement of claim stated that all the time prior to his enstoolment, he was a well respected member of the society and as such the defamatory statement had caused an extensive damage and hurt his reputation.

He noted that his reputation had been damaged in the minds of the right thinking members of society and the publication which was pasted via the internet had caused him distress and embarrassment and subjected him to public ridicule and contempt.

The Ga Mantse was therefore seeking Six Million Ghana cedis as damages for libel, cost and other reliefs that the court may deem fit.

The court’s verdict led to the jubilation of his sympathisers at the premises.

Mr Charles Zwennes, Counsel for the Ga Mantse, was happy his client has been vindicated and his reputation restored.

Source: GNA