Court Orders Chronicle Newspaper To Pay ¢50, 000 For Libel

An Accra Fast Track High Court has ordered The Chronicle newspaper to pay ¢ 50,000 to a former Assistant Commissioner of police (ACP) Douglas Asiedu Akrofi as damages for libel.

The newspaper on July 14, 2004 published an article captioned: Police Commander in big trouble: Businessman drags him to court.

In the story, it was stated that Mr. Akrofi collected a car, mobile phones and cash from the businessman to influence a decision against him.

The story provoked Mr. Akrofi to cause a writ at the court citing Kojo Omaboe, the editor of the Chronicle newspaper, Chronicle Media Limited and the publisher of the newspaper for libelous statement.

The court, Presided over by Justice Uuter Paul Dery said the opinion expressed by the defendant was no based on truth and facts. He said 'the comment' police commander in big trouble' could not be deemed fair as the defendants faild to prove that the plaintiff took a 'car, mobile phones and cash to influence a decision, so the defence of fair comment fails.'

The court said in the instant case, no doubt any conduct of a police officer in his official capacity is a matter of public interest, so the comment ' police commander in big trouble, is a comment on a matter of public interest.

The facts of the case were that one Desmond Charmant (deceased) reported the conduct of his wife, Georgina Addai to the Brong-Ahafo Regional command for stealing his money, and absconding from the matrimonial home.

The Brong-Ahafo Regional police commander, the plaintiff, ordered his men to arrest the said Georgina Addai and investigate the matter. After a diligent search, the police managed to arrest her in the arms of one Andy Appiah-Kubi at Tema and the two were placed in cells at Sunyani police station.

The two were subsequently arraigned before the Fiapre Circuit Court upon the advice of the Attorney General's office in Suyani. Georgina went to the office of Simmons Issifu Kewura, the Brong-Ahafo Regional correspondent of the newspaper, with the issue. The reporter filed the story without cross checking from the Police Commander.