An Accra High Court has dismissed a suit brought before it by one Sarah Kwablah against DAILY GUIDE newspaper for libel.
The lady filed the suit against the paper after it used her picture for one of its stories in 2015.
She was demanding an amount of GH?600,000 in damages for libel, cost of medical and psychological treatment and counseling, an amount equivalent to her salary/allowance for the period among other reliefs.
Throughout the trial, DAILY GUIDE insisted that the picture used in the said publication was that of the Sarah Kwablah to whom the story referred to.
The court dismissed her claims, saying she could not prove that she had been defamed in any way.
She was, however, awarded GH?20,000 as damages for the paper using her picture without verifying.
Her lawyer, asked for a cost of GH?50,000 against the paper but that was turned down by the court and he was rather awarded a cost of GH?12,000.
The court also placed a perpetual injunction on the newspaper restraining it from ever using her images again. The paper is also to render an unqualified apology to the plaintiff, giving it the same prominence as the 2015 story.
Meanwhile, lawyers for DAILY GUIDE have hinted that they will appeal the court’s decision.
According to them, the court in its judgment held that the lady could not prove any damage to her reputation hence do not see why she should be awarded GH?20,000 as damages.
By Gibril Abdul Razak