Businessman drags A Plus to court …seeks damages of GHc10million

Lawyer for Mr. Hassan Zein, a Ghanaian businessman, Justice Abdulai has dragged Kwame Asare Obeng popularly referred to as A Plus to court for defamation on his client.

According to Crown Legal Bureau (legal Counsel for Mr. Zein), A Plus wrote falsehood about the businessman on his social media (Facebook) page on Wednesday, December 6, 2021 which were calculated to injure and destroy his hard-earned reputation.

The legal Counsel described the post as not only false but malicious, libelous and dangerous seeking among other things damages of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 10,000,000.00) and an order directing A Plus to retract the said defamatory comment and picture through the same medium used in defaming his client.

A portion of the court order for injunction on further publication of the defamatory comment stated “…That Defendant’s conduct is injurious to his reputation, image, character and also have a negative impact on his business interest in Ghana and several other countries across the world. That following the said publication of the defamatory comments by the Defendant on his Facebook page, several of Plaintiff’s business family and friends, from across the world, business partners and diplomats across the world have been calling him enquiring into the said post published by the Defendant.

“That the said scandalous, malicious and defamatory comments by Defendant has since been republished by other news houses and online news sites search as Opera News and MyNewsGh.com (both of which have wide readership on android phones in particular and very popular news outlets for the youth in Ghana)”

It added “That Defendant has the well-known habit of attacking distinguished and respectable persons in society as evidenced by the numerous defamation suits which have been brought against him in recent times. That the malicious, vicious, vexatious and libelous attacks on Plaintiff’s personality and reputation by Defendant was not only untrue, but same was equally unprovoked, as he has no links, relationship and or business dealings with Defendant, in any form or shape, to warrant the vicious attacks on him

“That the said publications are not simply malicious and defamatory of the character, reputation and image, but same is gathering more attention with the sole object of injuring the hard earned reputation and credibility of Plaintiff. That unless the Honorable Court grants the present application to stop Defendant he will continuing to publish more defamatory comments about the Plaintiff

“That under the circumstances the Plaintiff/Applicant humbly prays the Honorable Court to make an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the Defendant and his cyber bloggers, assigns, privies, servants, personal representatives, agents and all persons of whatever description claiming through or under him from publishing, sharing, commenting, re-publishing the malicious, vexatious and defamatory and or libelous comments about Plaintiff/Applicant, on any social or regular media for whatever purposes until the final determination of the instant suit.”

Below are the comments posted by Kwame A Plus on his Facebook page: “Dr Dampare, do you remember this guy? This is Hassan, the Lebanese who pulled a gun and threaten to kill Ghanaian Police officers somewhere in Accra. Israel Laryea of Joy News has the video. You remember how you were prevented from arresting this guy because you were not IGP then? How many Ghanaians can go to Lebanon and threaten to kill police officers and be walking free? Thank God you are the IGP now. Crime has no expiry date. You have to arrest him.

Hassan, I hear you have almost every politician in your pocket so you are untouchable. Nobody told you about A Plus errrh!! You see those politicians who are supporting you to fool in our country? All of them are afraid of me!! If they try I’ll release their secrets. I’m coming after you and they can’t help you!! I have every information on you including the 600 thousand dollars you claim to have given to someone at the office of the president to ensure that your company, Zein Security wins the security contract at the airport. I’m going to take your issues one after the other. It’s going to be a long ride trust me.

Medikal was arrested for just showing a gun. Hassan has to be arrested for pulling a gun at police officers and threatening to kill them. You are not a Ghanaian. We won’t allow you to intimidate our people. Everybody on Facebook knows that I’ve fought for voiceless people. I won’t allow you to take a dead man’s house from his poor Ghanaian children. I’m talking about the white house. I’ve done this for many people. I’ve never lost. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be the first person to win against me. But trust me, it won’t be easy. I’m going to bed. We shall continue when I wake up?”