Defamation: You can’t gag us – Daily Guide to Opuni

Management of pro-government newspaper Daily Guide has said they are yet to be served with the defamation suit filed against them by the embattled former Chief Executive officer of COCOBOD.

Dr. Stephen Opuni has sued the Daily Guide newspaper over a publication that suggested that he gambled with the finances of the state firm while he was in charge.

The Monday April 10, 2018 edition of the pro-government newspaper had said Mr. Opuni directed the investment of COCOBOD money into non-core areas such as financing microfinance companies. The paper also noted the most of the monies invested in those companies were not paid back and became debts on the books of COCOBOD.

In a writ filed at the High Court Tuesday, Dr. Opuni, among other things, is demanding the court to order “a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant jointly or severally either by themselves or their agents or assigns from further publishing or causing to be printed, published and or distributed the said defamatory words and or similar words.

“Exemplary damages of two million Cedis. Cost inclusive of counsels fees and a retraction and apology in defendants newspaper with the same prominence as the publications of the 9th day of April 2018 together with four publications on the front and back pages of the Daily Graphic newspaper for four consecutive weeks”.

Responding to the suit, the editor of the Daily Guide Fortune Alimi told Starr News’ Kwaku Obeng Adjei that the court action will not deter them from doing their job.

“We don’t even know that he has gone to court. We are only hearing it in the air.

I don’t know whether I have been sued or not because I have not be served so I am waiting for him…whatever the case, rushing to the media doesn’t give justice, the court will be given the chance to hear the case, we will all appear before the court and we will make our case before the court. So let him serve us then can prepare our defense. We are waiting for him, we are not running away.

“And let me announce that nobody can gag us, we are not afraid of chasing the story, we are going to chase the stories and nobody can stop us. It’s an attempt to gag us”.