Deputy chief of staff slaps A Plus with defamation suit; demands for GHC20m

A Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso Boakye has dragged controversial musician/political activist Kwame Asare Obeng better known as A-Plus to court with a defamation suit.

According to Mr. Asenso Boakye in his statement of claim in which he is demanding ¢20m cedis for defamation, A-Plus who is popular on social media, has waged and sustained "defamatory attacks with malice aforethought.".

The deputy chief of staff referred to two facebook posts on 27 August 2017 and May 23, 2018 where A-Plus told his over 23,000 followers, top government official are corrupt amid insults.

Asenso Boakye said his professional and political reputation built over 15 years has been hurt "in the most damaging fashion" when his name was mentioned in the post.

Represented by Samson Lardy Anyenini, the deputy Chief of Staff prayed the court to grant him nine reliefs and declarations which include an unconditional retraction and an unqualifed apology published in the Daily Graphic.

He also wants eight million cedis for aggravated and exemplary damages and ¢12m compensation for injury to character.

The suit becomes the second in barely two weeks after the Communications minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful also sued A-Plus who has transitioned from music to politics to business.

In May, A-Plus accused the Minister of being involved in “some shady deals at the Communications Ministry and National Communication Authority (NCA).”

The minister handed a June 1 deadline for A-Plus to apologise but the political activist called her bluff.

Her counsel Gary Nimako Marfo filed a defamation suit afterwards but A-Plus responded 'bring it on'.