Legal storm brews as Prof Addae-Mensah faces defamation claims over autobiography involving William Fugar

Renowned academician Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah finds himself at the center of a potential legal storm as lawyers for Mr. William Edem Fugar, a prominent legal practitioner, have issued a demand notice following alleged defamatory statements in Addae-Mensah's autobiography titled "My Life."

In the demand notice addressed to Professor Addae-Mensah, the lawyers express deep concern over false statements made in the autobiography, particularly regarding Mr. Fugar's involvement in a legal case.

The notice challenges Addae-Mensah's assertion that Fugar abandoned a case resulting in its dismissal.

The lawyers contend that the referenced case, Pennie & Another v Egala & Another, reported in the Ghana Law Reports of 1980, contradicts Addae-Mensah's claim. The judgment, delivered by Cecilia Koranteng-Addow J. on April 20, 1979, reportedly ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and an injunction was issued against the second defendant.

The demand notice accuses Professor Addae-Mensah of causing damage to Mr. Fugar's longstanding reputation as a legal practitioner of high repute, both nationally and internationally. The lawyers state that the false imputations have portrayed Fugar as a negligent and carefree lawyer, tarnishing his professional standing.

The notice demands a retraction of the defamatory statements from the autobiography and an unqualified apology to Mr. Fugar within seven days.

Furthermore, the lawyers call for the publication of the retraction and apology in two editions each of the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times. They also insist on a credible plan to remove copies containing the alleged defamatory content from circulation.

Failure to comply with these demands within the stipulated time frame, as per the notice, may lead to legal action against Professor Addae-Mensah, the publishers of the book, and other parties involved in the book's circulation.

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NAY/NOQ