Court throws out Afenyo-Markin’s GH¢15m defamation case against Gyamfi

The High Court’s General Jurisdiction 1 has dismissed Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s GH¢15 million defamation suit against Ghana Gold Board Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over an allegedly defamatory statement.

The court found the writ of summons incurably defective and incompetent, ruling that it failed to properly invoke its jurisdiction.

In reaching its decision, the court relied on Coleman v Newmont on the applicable procedural rule and Owusu Domena on the requirement for objections to be raised promptly.

The ruling brings the proceedings initiated under the defective writ to an end. However, it does not constitute a determination of whether the statements complained of were defamatory, as the court’s decision concerned the procedural validity of the action.

Afenyo-Markin announced the lawsuit in Parliament on August 24, 2026, following allegations of extortion made against him amid a dispute involving the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.

The suit also named Multimedia Group Limited as a defendant.

The Minority Leader maintained that the allegations were false and intended to damage his reputation.

The case subsequently generated disagreement over the service of the writ. Gyamfi authorised his lawyers, Ayine & Partners, to accept the court documents, while Afenyo-Markin’s lawyers later maintained that service had been completed and rejected claims that their client was avoiding it.