Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta has filed a defamation suit against Captain Smart following allegations he made of him benefiting 10% of every loan facility the state gets.
In a High Court suit dated 2nd June 2023, counsel for the Finance Minister has sought damages against Captain Smart after he failed to retract his statements which were derogatory of his reputation on national television.
The writ stated that the Host of “Maakye with Captain Smart”, Blessed Godsbrain Smart known in the media space as Captain Smart, on 22nd May 2023 published certain statements on Onua TV, Onua Fm, and across the internet which has brought the image of the Finance Minister into disrepute.
The writ quoted the words which have occasioned the suit in question. “Are you aware that Ken Ofori Atta has taken his 10% of the IMF money? For Every loan we take, he takes 10%”.
The words according to his lawyer are in their natural and ordinary meaning understood as: The finance is corrupt, he has diverted public funds and has abused his office as a Finance Minister which has consequently brought embarrassment, ridicule, and public scandal to the minister of state.
The suit followed a denial by Captain Smart to retract and apologize for defaming the Finance Minister in a letter dated 29th April 2023.
Following that, the suit has implicated Captain Smart as having absolutely no basis for his derogatory statements, he was reckless as he didn’t have any iota of evidence to back his words, and he was motivated by getting listenership and views.
The lawyer deemed the statements aired were apparently false, fabricated, and intentionally calculated to degrade the Finance Minister. Hence, they demand the Honourable Court awards the plaintiff damages of GH 10 million and exemplary damage for defamation for libel, an apology, and retraction of the statements, a perpetual injunction to prevent Captain Smart, his servant, agents, or assigns from repeating such defamatory statements against the Finance Minister.
FIND WRIT OF SUMMONS BELOW
Captain Smart on his morning show cited the Finance Minister has a 10% benefit from the $ 600 million tranche which hit Ghana’s account following a 10-month-long approval of the loan facility by the International Monetary Fund.
He accused Ghanaians of hypocrisy which has stunted the growth of the country as he referred to how ex-President John Dramani Mahama was vilified by Ghanaians during his tenure but today we hail him as an angel.
“Today Mahama looks like an angel. How he was criticized. We should speak the truth but it is hypocrisy that is not making the country advance. From TV3 to 3FM, to Adom, to Adom TV to JoyNews, we all insulted Mahama, degraded him, and vilified him. We tagged him as a thief. PDS and bus branding which has grave mismanagement. Did you hear of any member of Mahama’s family member taking 10% off every loan? Do you know the IMF’s $600 million loan that hit our account, he has taken his 10%. They have disbursed 420 million and the 180 million is gone”