General News of Monday, 5 February 2018
Source: Myjoyonline.com
2018-02-05
Jospong has been charged GHC 4000 for failing to show up at the adjourned court sessions
An Accra High Court has struck out a suit filed by the Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, against Joy News Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni.
The court awarded a cost of GH¢4000 against Joseph Siaw Agyepong.
On August 2, 2017, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, filed a suit seeking to restrain Manasseh Azure Awuni from obtaining information from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) on contracts involving his companies.
The Joy News team, led by Mr Awuni, was seeking to uncover malfeasance in multiple sanitation contracts signed between the Jospong Group and some state agencies.
Mr Siaw Agyepong sued the Joy News reporter for defamation and argued that obtaining further information would prejudice the pending case.
When the reporter’s lawyers filed a defence, Mr Siaw Agyepong filed a notice to discontinue the case. However, he later told the court to hold on because he might continue the case.
Mr Agyepong’s lawyers asked for adjournment but failed to show up in court after several adjournments. This compelled the court to strike out the case and award a cost of GH¢4000 against Joseph Siaw Agyepong.
The court also adjourned the substantive defamation suit he filed against Manasseh indefinitely.
This is because since Mr Awuni filed his defence in March last 2017, Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his lawyers have failed to move for the continuation of the case.