Samuel Koku Anyidoho (L) and Captain Smart
Per a ruling by an Accra High Court on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, granting an application for substituted service in the GHS 5 million defamation suit brought against Captain Smart and his employers, Media General, by Samuel Koku Anyidoho, an official court order has been issued.
The order, dated May 8, 2025, was signed by a Deputy Registrar of the General Jurisdiction Division of the High Court in Accra.
Mr. Koku Anyidoho filed the suit in January 2025 against Captain Smart and Media General following what he described as deliberate and defamatory statements made by Captain Smart regarding his tenure as Head of Communications and Presidential Spokesperson during the administration of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills.
According to Anyidoho, Captain Smart’s statements fed into longstanding, baseless allegations concerning his supposed strained relationship with then-Vice President John Dramani Mahama. Captain Smart falsely claimed to have factual knowledge that Anyidoho used to “insult Vice President John Mahama face-to-face at the Flagstaff House.”
Captain Smart also alleged that Anyidoho, supposedly as “Director of Operations at the Flagstaff House,” used to disrespect Vice President Mahama and even “foolishly locked up” his office to prevent him from entering to work.
He further accused Anyidoho of acting with impunity, asserting that he had no respect for the Vice President and criticized President Atta-Mills for permitting such behavior. Captain Smart went on to allege that Anyidoho’s conduct was so egregious that it led John Mahama to write a resignation letter, and it allegedly took the intervention of former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to persuade him to remain in office.
However, for the record, Samuel Koku Anyidoho never worked at the Flagstaff House and was never Director of Operations there.
Because court bailiffs were unable to serve the defendants despite multiple attempts, Anyidoho’s legal team filed a motion for substituted service, which was granted on April 29, 2025.
Per the court’s order, the substituted service notice is to be posted:
On the Notice Board of the High Court;
On the premises of Media General;
By electronic notice via GhanaWeb (as GhanaWeb reportedly published Captain Smart’s defamatory remarks), and other online platforms.
Following the publication of the substituted service, Captain Smart and Media General have 10 days to respond through their legal counsel, failing which the court may proceed with summary judgment or issue other constitutional orders.
The order was granted by Her Ladyship Ellen Lordina Serwaa Mireku, Justice of the High Court, General Jurisdiction 8.
Kwame Osei, Esq., held brief for Lawyer Yaw Awuku-Asabre, Esq., of Awuku-Asabre Law Consult.
Meanwhile, watch why #SaveTheJudiciaryDemo is trending on GhanaWeb TV below