City of London Business College wins case

An Accra Fast Track High Court on 8 July awarded general damages in excess of 600 million cedis against the ?Daily Graphic? for publishing a libellous article about the City of London Business College.

The Court also ordered the defendant to publish within 21 days from 8 July, a retraction on the same page in the same newspaper, because in its opinion, the publication had greatly injured the good name and reputation of the college.

The College won the landmark case against the 'Daily Graphic' which had published a libellous article titled "This School is Fake" in its 27 August 2001 issue.

A portion of the libellous article stated: ?Investigations by the Graphic have established that the City of London Business College which recently advertised for admissions in the Ghana media is fake. The school has not been registered in the Directory of Recognised Institutions in the United Kingdom". The Court found this to be false.

Giving judgement in the case which lasted three years, His Lordship Dr. Justice Owusu-Ansah who presided over the Court declared: "In my view there is overwhelming evidence before this court that the words complained of by the plaintiff were libellous."

The second defendant in the case, the British Council, had corroborated the false story put out by the 'Daily Graphic'. The Council had falsely and maliciously written to the Daily Graphic that the City of London Business College is not accredited .

The Council further urged Graphic to draw the attention of the public to the 'fact' that the City of London College is not, as it were, the one referred to as fake, but rather the City of London Business College, despite the fact that acquiring British Accreditation Council's recognition is voluntary and not mandatory.

However, at the end of proceedings, the court was convinced that the City of London Business College is a United Kingdom registered school (with registered No. 2549276).

After the ruling (on 17 August), Mihin Vitheriage, the Acting Education Information Officer of the British Council in London also acknowledged the existence of the college.

He said: ''The city of London Business College definitely exists as an educational institution as I did contact them over the telephone. What I will do today is to contact them again and request for a Prospectus''.

Reacting to the judgement, Osei A. Kwateng, Principal of City of London Business College who was in court to hear the judgement, said he was elated.

He declared "As an investor, I am happy the case went this way and I am going to tell all my friends to come and invest in Ghana because there is now justice and fairness in the country which could now be described as a good venue for all interested investors abroad to come and do business.?

"I have indeed acquired plots of land at Adenta on which a school block for students is under construction to cater for students who may not be able to afford to travel abroad'', he declared.

In a press release signed by Osei Kwateng, Principal of the college, the college stated that through the verdict given, the college has redeemed its image and prestige which the Graphic publication had sought to tarnish.