Lawyers of pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) newspaper, Daily Post, have requested for an out-of-court settlement in relation to a libel suit brought against the newspaper.
The plaintiff, Dr. Franklin Manu Amoah, former Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institution of Ghana (CRIG), Tafo, had dragged the newspaper to the high court following a series of defamatory publications against him.
According to the plaintiff who was a former advisor to the Cocobod Chief Executive, the said publications carried in the May 15 to June 16, 2014 editions of the paper, were among other things, actuated by malice, intended to disparaged him and to create disaffection for him in the eyes of Ghanaians and the international community.
Reliefs
Citing Giraffe Publications, publishers of Daily Post and Michael Dokosi, its editor, as first and second defendants respectively, Dr. Amoah is demanding general and aggravated damages, including exemplary damages for the offensive publications.
Emmanuel Darkwa, lawyer for Dr. Amoah, also want an order directed at the defendants to retract the entire libelous and defamatory publication as well as a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from publishing similar words against him.
Humble Pie
However, before the case was moved, the defendants were on their knees pleading for the purported offence to the settle out of court.
Lawyer for the defendants told the court, presided over by Justice Benasko Essah, that the erring defendants had requested for an out-of-court settlement.
The trial judge accordingly allowed the parties to go for settlement and subsequently enter a consent judgment based on the agreements reached by the parties.
The terms of settlement as agreed upon by the parties dated March 13, 2016 stated, “First and second defendants agree not to repeat the words complained of and particularized in the statement of claim regarding the stories.
It said the defendants had also agreed to publish an apology and retract the portion of the stories in disputes in two front page editions of the paper.
Dr. Amoah had also agreed to relinquish and waive all his claims as well as his reliefs against the defendants.
The plaintiff, who holds a Phd degree in plant Physiology, worked at Cocobod for over 30 years until he retired in August last year.
While at CRIG he served in various positions, including head of CRIG substation in Bole, head of Agronomy Division, Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director.
He had once been the President of Ghana Science Association as well as a resource person for some universities and research institutes.
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