Oliver Barker-Vormawor’s request to the Accra High Court to have the GH¢10 million defamation lawsuit brought against him by Minister of National Security Albert Kan-Dapaah dismissed was denied, and he was fined GH¢3,000.
The #FixtheCountry Movement, a private attorney, argued in support of the minister’s motion to dismiss the suit dated November 29 that the minister is not authorized to start or handle civil matters pertaining to his official duties for the state.
He insisted that rather than being directed directly at the minister, the alleged defamatory remarks were directed towards the state or its representatives. Barker-Vormawor went on to say that the minister’s performance of official duties was directly related to the defamation claims.
GHc10M defamation case: National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah in Court as an application from Oliver Barker-Vormawor seeking a dismissal of his (Kan DAPAAH’s) GHc10 million defamation case has been dismissed. Cost of GHc3, 000 awarded against applicant #GHOnenews pic.twitter.com/VGTuMRZi6s
— GHOne TV (@GHOneTV) December 14, 2023
Barker-Vormawor claimed that Minister Kan Dapaah, along with Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta and a Brigadier General, had suggested that he and other leaders of the #FixTheCountry Movement be paid US$1 million to stop their activism. On September 26, 2024, Kan Dapaah filed a defamation lawsuit against Barker-Vormawor.
The Minister is seeking a declaration that the remarks made by Barker-Vormawor, which are listed below or in words that are comparable, are defamatory of the Plaintiff in the summons that Mr. Kan-Dapaah‘s attorneys filed: “They went as far as offering us US$1 Million, they offered us a Committee Appointment, set up a Committee and appoint us to Government positions to stop this activism. This was made directly to me and other leaders of the Fix the Country Movement. This conversation we had with the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Finance, and a Brigadier General at a safe home.”
In addition, he demands the recovery of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000,000.00) in General Damages, which includes Exemplary and/or Aggravated Damages for Defamation resulting from the Defendant’s statements.
Minister Kan Dapaah is also asking for an apology and the retractions of the previously made remarks. In addition, he is requesting the costs of the legal action as well as a perpetual injunction to stop Barker-Vormawor from making the same or other defamatory remarks about Plaintiff.
