JUDGMENT IN the US$10 million legal suit against Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako and the Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited by Ghana’s former Ambassador to the US, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah before a Kumasi High Court is scheduled for Thursday July 28, 2022.

The judgment, which was originally billed for June 30, 2022, is coming after six months of trial amid cross examination of both parties and after the plaintiff and defence counsels have submitted their written addresses to the court in May, 2022.

The plaintiff has sued Bernard Antwi Boasiako and the Wontumi Multimedia Company Limited, the defendants for defamation over a statement in which he allegedly referred to the plaintiff as “a
thief”.

The plaintiff claims on September 10, 2020 while contributing to a discussion on the second defendant’s Moring show, the first defendant
called him (plaintiff) a thief, which allegation had injured his hard won reputation and thus brought his image into hatred, ridicule and contempt.

The former Trade and Industry Minister is claiming against the Defendants jointly and severally for punitive and aggravated damages to the global reputational value of the Plaintiff which is quantified as over US$10 million.

Dr. Spio-Garbrah was Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States and Mexico from 1994 to 1997 and Head of Communication of the US$33 billion African Development Bank headquartered in Abidjan from 1991-1994.

The plaintiff was also a Board member of UNESCO in Paris and CEO of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organistion.

But the defendant has since the determination of the suit in October 2021 insisted that he only interpreted what the plaintiff claims to be defamatory from English to Twi and could not be liable.

The first defendant  who is  also the Ashanti Regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has told the trial court presided over by
His Lordship Justice George Krofa Addae under cross examination that he is not a trained or qualified translator in that sense.

Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo Esq., an Accra- based legal practitioner is the plaintiff’s counsel while Lawyer Kwame Adom Appiah is representing Bernard Antwi Boasiako, the defendant.

By Kow Richardson