The High Court in Accra has adjourned the GHC10 million defamation case filed by former National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah, against Oliver Barker-Vormawor, to February 28, 2025.
During proceedings on Monday, January 27, 2025, Bright Otchere Adjekum, counsel for Kan Dapaah, sought costs against the defendant following a request for adjournment by Barker-Vormawor’s lawyer, Dr. Justice Srem Sai, who was unavailable for the hearing.
Otchere Adjekum, while acknowledging prior notice of the adjournment request, criticized the reasons outlined in the letter presented by Dr. Srem Sai, describing it as a “lame excuse.”
He argued that valid grounds for adjournment should include ill health or conflicting commitments at higher courts, such as the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court.
He further prayed the court to discharge his client from further cross-examination and award costs against the defendant.
Presiding Judge, Justice Rev. Fr. Joseph Adu-Owusu Agyeman, dismissed the request for costs and adjourned the case. The court, however, urged Mr. Barker-Vormawor to ensure his counsel’s presence at the next hearing.
The case revolves around a GHC10 million defamation suit brought by Kan Dapaah against Barker-Vormawor for allegedly making bribery allegations against him. The minister opened his case on November 20, 2024, and faced cross-examination from Barker-Vormawor’s lawyer, Dr. Srem Sai.
Under cross-examination, Kan Dapaah disclosed that activities of the #FixTheCountry Movement and Barker-Vormawor occasionally featured in briefings at National Security Council meetings.
While most briefs were delivered orally, he admitted that a few included written references to the activist’s activities.
Background
The National Security Minister has accused the former FixTheCountry Movement convener of defamation and has initiated legal action against him.
Albert Kan Dapaah’s defamation suit was initiated over comments said to have been made by Barker-Vormawor, which the minister alleged defamed him.
The action by Kan Dapaah comes on the back of allegations made by the Fix-The-Country convener that the National Security and some government officials had met him and offered him money to stop his activism against the government.
The allegation was refuted by the National Security Minister, who subsequently filed a defamation suit in court against Barker-Vormawor.
The minister is seeking “recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GHC10,000,000.00) as General Damages, including Aggravated and/or Exemplary Damages for Defamation for the words uttered by the Defendant.”
He is also seeking “an apology for and retraction of the words complained of supra” and “a perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the Plaintiff.”
