Ade Coker
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ade Coker, has sued a member of the party, Boutrous Andy, for defamation, as the in-fighting in the party intensifies.
According to a writ filed at the high court by Gary Nimako Marfo of Safo & Marfo @ Law – a copy of which is available to DAILY GUIDE – Ade Coker avers that the defendant used his social media platform – Facebook – to libel him (Coker), calling him a ‘criminal,’ ‘murderer,’ ‘a thief’ and the NDC’s ‘biggest mistake.’
According to the suit, the defendant is alleged to have claimed, “Ade Coker? The biggest mistake for NDC. A thief, criminal & murderer. The days ahead will be very interesting.”
He is therefore seeking among other things, compensatory damages in the sum of GH¢1 million against the defendant for loss of reputation.
Mr Ade Coker claims that the said Facebook post has generated several comments ostensibly intended to tarnish his hard won reputation.
He avers that no court in Ghana or elsewhere has convicted him of any crime, let alone thievery or murder, adding that the defamatory statements published by the defendant are carefully calculated to tarnish his image and destroy his hard won reputation.
According to the writ, “The said publication seeks to portray him as a common criminal, rogue and that the said publication was made without any justification and/or lawful excuse and calculated to injure his reputation and also expose him to hatred, ridicule, damage to his person, profession and lower his estimation in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.”
Mr. Coker is therefore seeking an order of injunction directed at the defendant (Boutrous Andy), his agents, assigns and privies from continuing to make any further defamatory publication about him.
He is also seeking an order of the court directed at the defendant to take immediate steps to expunge the defamatory publication from Facebook.
Apart from the GH¢1 million compensatory claims, Mr. Coker is also seeking costs, including legal fees.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak