Former MP to pay Baba Kamara GH¢1.5m as stay of execution is thrown out

The High Court, Accra on 7th August 2019, dismissed an application for stay of execution of the judgment of the court dated 5th April 2019 ordering Ibrahim Dey Abubakari to pay the sum of one million, five hundred thousand Ghana Cedis (GHC1,500,000.00) to Alhaji Baba Kamara for defamation.

In the said application, Ibrahim Dey Abubakari stated that he was unemployed and therefore could not pay the sum.

The High Court dismissed the said application on the ground that he did not raise any exceptional circumstances.

The effect of the ruling is that Ibrahim Dey Abubakari is required to pay the said amount forthwith.

Background

An Accra High Court has awarded a fine of one million, five hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHC1,500.000) against former Member of Parliament for Salaga South Ibrahim DeyAlhassan for making a defamatory statement against former National Security Advisor, Alhaji Baba Kamara.

Alhaji Baba Kamara on March 20, 2017, commenced a Court action against the former MP seeking damages to the sum of GHC20,000.00 and a perpetual injunction on the former lawmaker from further making such defamatory statements.

Mr. Ibrahim DeyAbibakari is reported to have in three voice recordings accused Alhaji Baba Kamara of inflating contract cost of the renovation of the Vice Presidential mansion, and pocketed monies meant for Salaga Water Project. He also accused the plaintiff of diverting official vehicles for his personal use.

The defendant, Ibrahim Dey, however, denied the claims when he was served the writ of summons and statement of claim. The former MP stated he had not authorized anybody to record or public any defamatory statement against Alhaji Kamara.



The court however after going through the full trial on April 5, 2019, found Ibrahim Dey liable for the offence with the intention of damaging the reputation of the former National Security Advisor, Senior Presidential Advisor, High Commissioner and International Businessman.

The court has therefore ordered him to pay compensation in the sum of Ghc 1,500.000 to Alhaji Baba Kamara as well as cost of GHC5,000.

In announcing the ruling, the Presiding Judge, Justice Patience Mills-Tetteh bemoaned what she called invincibility which is creeping in the Ghanaian society where bad reports are given about others without checking their authenticity.

“Incivility is gradually creeping into our society, people give bad report about other people on our airwaves without checking the authenticity of the facts and this must be controlled, public servants of this country must be lifted up and be respected after services to this nation. It is not right to accuse people of wrongdoing when it has not been established by any means that they have committed those offenses."

“This nation must not encourage dissemination of false news, and provocative vocabulary on our airwaves because it can cause irreparable damage on the image of the person, subject of discussion. It does not pay to use words to tear up people in authority” she concluded.