The High Court in Accra has dismissed an application by Kumawood actor Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, seeking to stay proceedings in the GH₵5 million defamation lawsuit filed against him by actress Martha Ankomah.
In addition to rejecting the request, the court imposed a cost of GH₵5,000 on Lil Win. The defamation case centers around alleged disparaging remarks made publicly by Lil Win about Martha Ankomah.
Lil Win’s legal team filed the application to pause the ongoing hearing, pending the outcome of an interlocutory appeal at the Court of Appeal. The appeal challenges the jurisdiction and venue of the defamation suit, arguing that the case should be heard in Kumasi—where the actor resides—rather than Accra.
Ms. Claudia Coleman, representing Lil Win’s counsel, Margaret Agyei Twum, emphasized that the appeal raises a “serious issue of law” concerning the appropriate venue and jurisdiction for the case. She requested the court to stay proceedings to avoid rendering the appellate court’s decision “negatory and moot,” should the appeal be granted.
Coleman argued that the court has inherent authority to stay its own proceedings, and failure to do so would cause “severe hardship” to Lil Win, especially if the appeal succeeds.
Opposing the motion, Nii Apatu-Plange, lawyer for Martha Ankomah, strongly contested the application.
He noted that despite Lil Win’s claim that the appeal record was nearly complete, court records as of May 26, 2025, show that necessary conditions for compiling the record have not been met since the notice of appeal was filed in November 2024.
Apatu-Plange stressed that to warrant a stay of proceedings, the applicant must demonstrate exceptional circumstances—something Lil Win has failed to prove.
He further clarified that the dispute over venue does not affect the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.
Highlighting Lil Win’s conduct in court, the lawyer pointed out his repeated failure to attend hearings and his refusal to sign terms of agreement despite court interventions, describing these actions as “gross disrespect” to the court.
Justice Forson Baah Agyapong, presiding over the case, agreed with the respondent’s arguments and ruled that Lil Win had not presented any exceptional grounds to justify a stay.
The court thus denied the application and ordered Lil Win to pay GH₵5,000 in costs to Martha Ankomah.
The case has been adjourned to July 9, 2025, when the court will begin playing audiovisual evidence in open court as part of the ongoing defamation trial.
This follows an earlier failure to settle the matter out of court.
