Defamation case: Prof. Addae-Mensah apologises to William Fugar

Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has apologised to William Edem Fugar, a legal practitioner, for relying on a Daily Graphic report to write his autobiography, which contained portions that were said to be inaccurate and defamatory.

After the publication of Prof. Addae-Mensah’s (defendant) autobiography titled “My Life: A Historical Narrative,"  Fugar (plaintiff), in a demand notice dated December 21, 2023, accused the former Vice-Chancellor of defaming him, a claim the former Vice-Chancellor vehemently denied.

Per the court document available to the Ghana News Agency, after the settlement, Prof. Addae-Mensah would delete the offending words from the next print/edition of the autobiography.

The former Vice-Chancellor apologized after the parties reached an agreement to settle the matter amicably, which was adopted by the High Court, presided over by Justice John Bosco Nabarase.

He said while conducting research prior to writing his biography of Hilla Limann, he came across information in the Daily Graphic of April 12, 1979, with reference to the court case of Pennie and Datsomor versus Egala and Limann.

He said the headline of the story indicated that the counsel for the plaintiff, Fugar, had “abandoned” his clients during trial.

“I was misled by that statement and, therefore, relied upon it in the Limann book, which I published in 2016.”

He said that that in writing his autobiography,”My Life, A Historical Narrative,” in 2023, he again relied on the same statement, though Fugar had continued to represent his clients until the successful determination of the substantive matter.

”I am able, therefore, without any hesitation, to say that had I been aware that the headline in the Daily Graphic in 1979 was not an accurate reflection of what had transpired in court, I will not have repeated it in 2016 and again in 2023,” he said.

Prof. Addae-Mensah said he acknowledged Fugar's integrity and was aware that he was a luminary in the practice of law. He had been respected in his field by his clients, his peers, and the general public for more than 50 years and continues to be so respected to this day.

Per the settlement, the defendant will publish a quarter-page advertisement of the apology in the Daily Graphic within 10 days.

In consideration of the defendant’s compliance with the terms of the settlement, the plaintiff will release the defendant from the claims in the suit and waive any cause of action based on the statements published by the defendant in his book.

Madam Marietta Agyeiwaa Brew, one of the counsels for Fugar, said they did not ask for costs during the period because their focus was on protecting their client's reputation.

The plaintiff initially sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further publicising the offending passage and an order of mandatory injunction requiring the defendant to cause to be withdrawn from circulation the copies of the book containing the offending passages.

They also sought damages for libel, including aggravated damages.