Fidelity Bank sues Bright Simons for defamation, demands GH¢20m in damages

Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited has filed a suit against Bright Simons, Vice President of IMANI Africa, for what it says are defamatory and libellous claims he made against the financial institution.

This comes after the policy analyst, Bright Simons, in a tweet on March 2 2024, made allegations of a “sweetheart forex exchange deal” between Fidelity Bank Ghana and the Electricity Company of Ghana.

Simons through his post inquired Fidelity Bank Ghana to provide evidentiary notes on the dollar rate at which it sold forex to the Electricity Company of Ghana in the alleged exchange, which is said to have taken place in October 2023.

The IMANI Africa vice president further alleged that the power distribution company [ECG] paid an excess of GH¢80 million when they purchased forex from the bank [Fidelity].

But Fidelity Bank, which did not take the matter lightly, has issued an amended writ of summons against Bright Simons.

It is, therefore, seeking aggravated and exemplary damages of GH¢20 million arising from the libel published by the defendant [Bright Simons].

In addition, Fidelity Bank is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, associates and privies from further publishing or circulating defamatory words against it.

The financial institution is further seeking from the court “an order directed at the Defendant to retract the statement and apologise to the Plaintiff [Fidelity Bank] through the same medium through which they were published.”

https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Re-Fidelity-lawsuit-against-Bright-Simons-Dumsor-will-not-be-solved-by-PR-1924615
Update - representatives of Bright Simons have issued a rejoinder

See the full writ of summons below:




MA/DO