𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 A𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗡𝘁𝗶𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿 ₵𝟳𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 I𝗻 D𝗲𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 S𝘂𝗶𝘁
Assin South Member of Parliament (MP), Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has been awarded ₵700,000 in damages in a defamation lawsuit against two individuals, Stephen Cobbah and Yaw Koranteng.
The judgment was delivered by the Cape Coast High Court on Monday, April 28, 2025, although the MP had initially sought ₵1,000,000 in damages.
The court held that the two defendants had published defamatory statements against the MP on the Assinman Politics Gh WhatsApp group platform.
Among other rulings, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing any defamatory statements against Rev. Fordjour.
Additionally, the defendants have been directed to retract the defamatory statements and render an unqualified written apology, which must be published on the Assinman Politics Gh WhatsApp group platform and any other social media platforms where the defamatory statements were circulated.
*Background*
This incident occurred before the 2024 general election.
The two individuals who have since been convicted were supporters of Joseph Kofi Damptey, the Assin South Independent Candidate who broke away from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) citing discrimination and unfair treatment.
A heated confrontation erupted between supporters of Damptey and those of the incumbent MP for Assin South on the Assinman Politics WhatsApp platform, during which some allegations were made against each other.
In the course of the altercation, the two supporters accused Hon. John Ntim Fordjour of issuing fake cheques to swindle traditional leaders at Nyankumase Ahenkuro, subsequently branding him a fraudster.
Although Hon. Joseph Damptey’s campaign team later issued an apology when the matter was brought before the Nyankumase Ahenkuro traditional authorities,
Hon. John Ntim Fordjour rejected the apology and proceeded to take legal action against the individuals involved. And today the judgment was executed.
This case can be viewed as a broader attack on Damptey himself, rather than merely on the two convicted individuals, especially considering that they are unlikely to be able to pay any damages awarded against them.
Rev. John Ntim FordjourThey are mere unemployed supporters who broke away from the NPP in 2019 together with the independent candidate.
End.
