Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and his Net2 Television station have been sued by a Lebanese-born Ghanaian businessman, Hassan Zein, for the airing of a defamatory video of him.
In his statement of claims, the plaintiff averred that in December last year, Net2 broadcast videos purported to have captured him involved in “fraud, drugs, money laundering, corruption among other damaging and defamatory issues to damage his reputation and integrity.”
Mr. Zein is a renowned business executive with establishments in West and Northern Africa, Europe and Accra.
According to the suit filed at an Accra High Court, Net2 Television owned by Kennedy Agyapong showed the video to the whole world, claiming the plaintiff had defrauded some people in the Republic of Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and other countries without any proof.
The suit said the television station failed to authenticate the video before broadcasting it.
“The commentary and the panel discussions that followed soon after the video clip were disparaging, damaging and well calculated to lower the reputation of the plaintiff and his business interests in the estimation of right-thinking members of society generally and/or tends to make them shun or avoid him,” the suit averred.
Mr. Zein, in the suit, indicated that following the broadcast of the video, he caused his lawyers to meet with the defendants for an amicable means of settling the matter and further arresting persons behind the false and damaging video clips.
He said throughout the meeting, Mr. Agyapong assured the lawyers of getting the people behind the video arrested and brought to book.
The defendants also assured the plaintiff of withdrawing the said publication and in a subsequent programme apologise for the erroneous publication. However, they have failed to do so.
According to the suit, “The action of Mr. Agyapong and Net2 were highly and seriously defamatory and damaging to the plaintiff’s reputation.”
The plaintiff claimed the airing of the video had affected his business, as his business partners and others “continue to withdraw contracts, business partnerships, among several other business opportunities that could have and or has the potential of earning him more income, revenue and or obtain him business opportunities, among other resources.
The plaintiff is, therefore, seeking an order directed at the defendants to render an unqualified apology through the same medium the defamatory video was aired.
He is also seeking general damages of GH¢100 million with interest at the prevailing banking rate until the he’s given final payment and legal fees.