High court throws out embattled FDA lawyer’s application against Manasseh Awuni

An Accra High Court, General Jurisdiction 5 on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, dismissed an application filed by lawyers of embattled FDA CEO against investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni.

Lawyers for Madam Cynthia Dapaah-Ntow prayed the court to dismiss all processes filed on behalf of Manasseh arguing that he used “care of” in providing his residential address and that meant he did not comply with the law requiring a Defendant in a suit to provide his residential address.

However, lead counsel for Manasseh, Samson Lardy Ayenini on his part argued that the motion counts as the third frivolous attempt by the plaintiff to abuse the court process just to delay the case from moving forward.

Lawyer Ayenini told the court that the move by the plaintiff’s lawyers was only a ruse to delay the case and to also delay the airing of the “Returned Bribe” investigative documentary carried out by the 1st defendant.

The court in dismissing the application remarked that Plaintiff has so far not encountered or proven to have encountered any issues serving processes or documents on Manasseh and that the Plaintiff’s actions were strange.

Counsel for the FDA Head of Legal Affairs did not argue the application for an injunction on the documentary which has been pending since December 2020.

According to the Myjoyonline.com report, lawyers for Madam Dapaah-Ntow tried appealing the court's ruling but were told that nothing was stopping the case from moving on.

The plaintiff was cautioned to refrain from any act which is likely to delay the court ruling and was given 7 days to file a supplementary process they pleaded for.

The case was thus adjourned to 9th February 2021 at 9am.

Cynthia Dapaa-Ntow sued Manasseh Azure Awuni and two others in 2020 on grounds that she had been defamed in the “Returned Bribe” and has been seeking to the investigative piece from being aired.

The investigative documentary carried out by Manasseh has Madam Ntow-Dapaah on tape demanding bribe from the Executive President of the Center of Awareness (COA), Dr. Samuel Ato Duncan.