Ocquaye Sues Palaver & Lens for ?5bn

The Minister for Communications and MP for Dome-Kwabenya, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, has sued the Ghana Palaver and Ghanaian Lens newspapers for libel. Cited in the joint suit are the editors of the two newspapers, their publishers and one Afi Amematekpor a correspondent of the Ghanaian lens.

Prof. Ocquaye, in a writ of summons filed by his lawyer Mr. Yaw Opoku-Adjaye at an Accra Fast Track High Court, claims against the defendants aggravated and exemplary damages in the amount of ?5billion for libelling him in the Tuesday April 11-Thursday April 13, 2006 issue of the Ghana Palaver and the Thursday April 20, 2006 issue of the Ghanaian Lens and other subsequent issues.

The plaintiff seeks an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publishing any further libellous materials about him and a public apology from the defendants in a manner acceptable to him for the libellous publications.

Prof. Ocquaye, in a statement of claim attached to the writ, said the Ghana Palaver, on the front page of its Tuesday April 11-Thursday, April 13, 2006 and other successive issues did publish a series of articles containing words defamatory of him.

The Ghanaian Lens, in its Thursday April 20, 2006 issue, said the Minister has built seven magnificent storey-buildings in a little over a year that he was appointed Minister in charge of the energy sector.

The plaintiff avers that the Palaver in particular continued to publish defamatory, false and malicious materials against him, in spite of plaintiff's categorical denials publicly carried out in other print and electronic news media.

The plaintiff avers that the defendants published the libellous materials out of malice and malevolence knowing very well or should have known the serious damage or injury and harm that the publication would cause him.