The Agona Swedru High Court has ordered Kwame Egyire Annan, a prominent New Patriotic Party (NPP) figure in the Agona East Constituency, to pay GH¢500,000 in general damages for making defamatory statements against Professor Kwesi Yankah, the party’s parliamentary candidate in the 2020 general elections.

In addition to the damages, the court awarded GH¢5,000 in legal costs in favour of Prof. Yankah.

Delivering judgment, Justice Felix Datsumor ruled that the remarks made by Mr Annan were false, damaging to the plaintiff’s reputation, and constituted defamation under the law.

The court consequently barred the defendant from making any further disparaging comments about Prof. Yankah.

Justice Datsumor also directed Mr Annan to publicly retract the statements and issue a formal apology through the same media platform where the allegations were originally made, encouraging the plaintiff to accept the apology in good faith.

The defamatory comments were reportedly made on December 13, 2024, during a morning programme on Movement Television, hosted by Kweku Dawurow.

During the broadcast, Mr Annan accused Prof. Yankah of mismanaging campaign funds and logistics provided for the 2020 parliamentary race.

He further alleged that the former candidate withheld resources from the party’s campaign machinery, a move he claimed contributed to the NPP’s defeat in the constituency.

Reacting to the ruling, counsel for Prof. Yankah, Justice Abudulai, welcomed the decision, describing it as a victory for truth and accountability, although he noted that the legal team had initially sought GH¢1 million in damages.

He used the opportunity to caution political actors to exercise restraint in their public commentary, stressing that reckless statements not only harm individuals but also undermine Ghana’s democratic culture.