Former Sanitation Minister Cecilia Dapaah
Former Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, has initiated legal proceedings against the Multimedia Group, alleging defamation stemming from what she describes as several publications by the media house that have tarnished her reputation.
In a statement of claim filed on her behalf by her lawyer, Victoria Barth, Dapaah's legal team cites a specific incident involving the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) as the trigger for these allegations.
According to the claim, on August 8, 2023, the OSP applied to the Financial and Economic Crime Division of the High Court related to the seizure of funds from Dapaah's matrimonial home in Abelemkpe and freezing orders against her bank accounts.
The defamation claim centers on subsequent publications by the Multimedia Group, specifically JoyNews, which the plaintiff asserts falsely reported on the amounts of money in her bank accounts, citing unnamed and unverified sources. One headline, dated August 10, 2023, claimed that "OSP tracks $5m, finds GHc 48m in Cecilia Dapaah’s Prudential Bank accounts," while multiple stories on YouTube reiterated these figures.
Despite the OSP's public rebuttal of these claims via their verified social media handle, JoyNews continued to disseminate the alleged false information.
Dapaah's legal team argues that the consistent reporting of this misinformation has resulted in public perception that has been detrimental to their client's character and reputation.
In response to these allegations, Dapaah's lawyers gave the Multimedia Group an opportunity to retract the publications and issue an apology, especially after the OSP debunked the information. However, as of August 11, 2023, the media company had not done so.
Claims sought
Ms Dapaah according to the statement of claim is asking for six (6) specific declarations and orders from the court.
First, a declaration that JoyNews’ multiple stories titled “Joy News Prime // Cecilia Dapaah Case: OSP tracks $5m in total bank transactions over a period” and “JoyNews Today // OSP finds $5million and Ghc48million in Cecilia Dapaah’s bank accounts” on the social media platform YouTube are false and defamatory to the Plaintiff (Cecilia Dapaah).
“Secondly, Ms Dapaah is asking for general damages for the injury to her reputation.
“Thirdly, exemplary damages for the reckless and malicious reportage,
“Fourth, an order of perpetual injunction restraining Multimedia Group and its news outlets from publishing any further defamatory material about Ms Dapaah.
“Fifth, a retraction and apology by Multimedia Group and its news outlets with the same means, coverage, and prominence with which the defamatory publications were published and lastly, any other order(s) that the court may deem fit”.
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