Chronicle sues for being defamed

Accra, Oct.6, GNA - The Chronicle Media Limited has filed a writ at an Accra Fast Track High Court against the Graphic Communications Group and Mr Kofi Aboagye, Solicitor of Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby, former Chief Executive Officer of Volta River Authority (VRA).

The Chronicle Media Limited is the publisher of 'The Chronicle' while the Graphic Communications Group, publishes 'Daily Graphic'. The writ is for defamation in connection with a publication in the 'Daily Graphic' of May 23, 2003, an E-mail sent to Ghana News Agency by Mr Alex Lamte- Lawson, Supervising Chief Editor of 'The Chronicle' said.

The writ seeks to restrain Mr Aboagye, the first defendant, his servant or any media, from further publication or broadcast of the defamatory words or any similar words or any words to like effect in the future.

The writ, filed on September 15, this year further seeks an order compelling the defendants to recant their libel, apologise to the Plaintiff in a language whose content shall be approved by the Plaintiff and publish same in the media approved by the Plaintiff.

In the statement of claim, The Chronicle Media Limited said the first defendant, a well known legal practitioner and the second defendant, publisher of the largest circulating National Daily in Ghana, Daily Graphic, falsely and maliciously published a defamatory matter against it.

The 14 point statement of claim said in particularly, the defendants stated that the plaintiff's newspaper, the Chronicle, specialises and engages in "a campaign of libellous press terror" against citizens, including in particular the VRA and its Chief Executive Officer, Dr Charles Werek-Brobby and that "The Chronicle" unjustifiably published "scurrilous, disparaging, offensive and sometimes violence libel against VRA and its CEO or both.

The plaintiff states that the natural and ordinary meaning of the defendants' false and malicious publication meant that: "'The Chronicle' is only a campaigner of press terror against innocent citizens without any justification, whatsoever; that far from being the doyen of investigative journalism in Ghana, 'The Chronicle' is a newspaper without honour and integrity but evil and unholy motives; that it has no regard for decency, law and order and, therefore, it is not a fit and worthy newspaper to practice journalism and that it spends its time and money doing nothing but going round to find people to destroy by inciting Ghanaians to prepare for war against innocent people with the sole aim of getting them removed from office."
'The Chronicle' said the Defendants published words complained of out of malevolence and spite towards it.
The plaintiff denied ever seeking innocent Ghanaians with the view to spreading false news about them so as to give them a bad name and destroy them, much less than the wrong doings alleged in the publication in order that it might increase its sales and make profit.
The Chronicle Media Limited said the defamatory publication had lowered it and its newspaper 'The Chronicle' in the estimation of their peers, and all right thinking people throughout the world; expose its to hatred, contempt and /or ridicule by those who knew the Plaintiff at the time of the defamatory publication; injured, harmed and damaged it and 'The Chronicle' in their character, credit, reputation and position as responsible persons in professional journalism and has brought them to public scandal, odium, and contempt and injured, harmed and damaged their status and social life, both of which have suffered as a result of the defamatory publication.