Court Issues 3-day Ultimatum To Cocoa Buyers Following Suit Against Multimedia

An Accra High Court has handed the Licensed Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana three days to file additional arguments in a suit the association filed against The Multimedia Group.

The Association is seeking to prohibit The Multimedia Group from broadcasting a story, detailing alleged plain theft of cocoa beans by some members of the association.

The documentary which was due for broadcast in February this year has been on hold as the Cocoa Buyers have described the documentary as "containing unfair and unverified allegations of crime made against the companies".

The investigative piece compiled by JoyNews' Kwetey Nartey, documented what is suspected to be a notorious and widespread adjustment of measuring scales to rob cocoa farmers of tones of cocoa beans.

But even before the documentary could air, the Licenced Cocoa Buyers Association of Ghana (LICOBAG), the Kuapa Kokoo Co-operative Cocoa Farmers and Marketing Union Ltd. (KKFU) and Kuapa Kokoo Ltd, say this should not be allowed to happen.

They said if JoyNews is "not restrained by the Honourable Court, the publication of the full documentary with the unfair and unverified allegations of crime made against the [companies] in the videos, will bring an incalculable hardship on them and render it impossible for them to sell their cocoa internationally."

They prayed the court in their suit to award them a cost of one million cedis and restrain The Multimedia Group from ever airing the documentary.

During the hearing on Friday, May 4, the lawyer for The Multimedia Group, Samson Lardi Ayenini, accused the Association of deliberately delaying the court by asking for more time to file relevant documents.

Presiding Judge Justice Anthony Yeboah disagreed and proceeded to hand the LICOBAG the three-day deadline.

The Multimedia Group also has three days to respond to the documents filed by the association if it deems it necessary.

The case has been adjourned to May 18, 2018.