Pratt Sues Vanguard Editor & Publishers For Libel

The Editor of the Weekly Insight, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has filed a suit at the High Court in Accra against the Editor and publisher of the Vanguard newspaper for publishing certain materials, which were seriously and maliciously libellous to him.

In the writ against Mr Edson Osbert Lartey, Editor of the Vanguard and Danlart Publications, publishers of the paper, Mr Pratt said only a punitive and or exemplary damage and an injunction order will stop the defendants from repeating their campaign of vilification against him. Mr Pratt said an article in the 10th to 16th July edition of the paper with the headline "Kwesi Pratt leaves for Zurich" was "designed to cause damage to his character as a leading and executive member of the Convention People's Party (CPP). According to the statement of claim, in the article the defendants purported to report that while in Zurich, Mr Pratt would meet some leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

It said the true import of this publication is to focus direct suspicion of the plaintiff switching camp and or flirting with the NDC in a bid to joining that political party and to provoke members of the plaintiff's party (CPP) and their numerous supporters to either dismiss him or withdraw their recognition of the plaintiff as a leading and executive member of that political party. The writ said the defendants published the story "with the utmost malice" knowing that it is not true and knowing the serious damage and or injury it would cause.

The statement of claim said the defendants in their October 23-28 edition published another article under the headline "Pratt and the $125,000 cash ...ET's name pops up...Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom was the target," although lawyers had written to the defendants drawing their attention to the untruth in the first news item and the harm it has caused and is causing to the plaintiff. The writ said although the defendants had every opportunity to crosscheck the fact, they went ahead knowing that they were unverified and untrue.

The writ said Mr Pratt had suffered serious damages to his reputation by being portrayed as a political flirt and opportunist. It said he has also suffered serious damage to his professional integrity by being depicted as a journalist who is unethical and abuses his professional career for personal gains.