Good News For Sammy Gyamfi

The High Court in Accra has reportedly struck out a GH¢15 million defamation case brought by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin against Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited.

A report by GhanaWeb indicates that the court delivered its decision on October 14, 2026, after determining that the writ filed by the Effutu MP was fundamentally defective and legally incompetent to invoke its jurisdiction.

The legal dispute followed remarks allegedly made by Gyamfi, in which he reportedly described Afenyo-Markin as an “extortionist”. The legislator challenged the comments in court, maintaining that they were untrue and capable of harming his standing as a lawyer, politician and public figure.

Afenyo-Markin initiated the action in August 2025, seeking GH¢15 million in damages. He also pursued several orders intended to secure a retraction of the alleged defamatory remarks, a public apology and a restriction on further publication of similar statements.

Multimedia Group Limited, which owns JoyNews, was named alongside Gyamfi as a defendant in the proceedings.

According to the report, the court relied on principles drawn from the cases of Coleman v Newmont and Owusu Domena when considering the matter.

The first case was referenced in connection with the relevant procedural rules, while the second was cited regarding the need to raise legal objections promptly and at the appropriate stage of proceedings.

The court reportedly concluded that the defects in Afenyo-Markin’s writ were serious enough to prevent it from properly establishing the court’s jurisdiction.

In his claim, Afenyo-Markin requested general damages for libel, together with aggravated and exemplary damages, over the statements he considered defamatory.

He also asked the court to direct the defendants to issue a comprehensive and unconditional retraction, accompanied by a public apology.

The Minority Leader wanted both the retraction and apology to be published or broadcast with a level of prominence comparable to that of the original material. His request specifically included broadcasts on JoyNews and publication across the relevant electronic and social media platforms where the statements had allegedly circulated.

Furthermore, he sought a perpetual injunction to prevent the defendants, their representatives, agents or other persons acting on their behalf from repeating the disputed remarks or publishing statements with substantially similar meanings about him.

The additional reliefs included legal costs and any other orders the court considered appropriate.

With the suit reportedly dismissed on procedural grounds, the court did not grant the remedies requested by the legislator.

The decision represents a significant development in the dispute between Afenyo-Markin and Gyamfi. However, the reported ruling centres on the legal competence of the writ and the court’s jurisdiction; it should not automatically be interpreted as a judicial determination of whether the disputed statements were true or defamatory.

Jamey.Blogger feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com