Fast track court to rule on Daily Guide, Nketia defamation case

An Accra Fast Track High court is expected to give its ruling in a defamation case brought against the Daily Guide newspaper and its publisher, by National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia over a report he owned mansions in Oyarifa, in Accra and Daaban Panyin, in the Ashanti Region.

Mr. Asiedu Nketia is praying the court to award him a cost of GH¢1 million in damages against the newspaper for destroying his reputation.

Mr. Nketia claimed certain portions of the story portrayed him as not only greedy but opportunistic and a dishonest person who has taken advantage of his position in the party to amass wealth.

A Daily Guide publication of November 9, 2012 said editor of the newspaper Mr Fortune Alimi told the court, presided over by Mr Justice N.M.C Abodakpi that the publication was made with no malice and that thorough investigations were conducted before it.

According the publication, the editor said in the course of the investigations, it was established that the same contractor, Nickseth Company, built both the Accra house at Oyarifa and the Kumasi house at Dabaan Payin.

However, counsel for the NDC secretary, Samuel Cudjoe, told Mr Alimi that he was reckless in publishing the story and that if thorough investigations had been carried out, the ownership of the Kumasi house would have been established.

The Accra Fast Track High court will give its ruling in the case today, Wednesday.