The host of Maakye on Onua TV/FM, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, a.k.a Captain Smart, has responded to the Finance Minister’s GH¢10m defamation suit against him.
The broadcaster, during the Fabewoso segment of the show Monday, June 5, 2023, said he has not received any suit from Ken Ofori-Atta and has called his bluff to serve him.
According to Captain Smart, he does not owe a house on social media and expected Mr. Ofori-Attah’s lawyers to serve him in his house if they meant business, rather than flooding social media with the said suit.
Meanwhile, the broadcaster says he is not afraid of the Finance minister nor any politician and wants to meet him in court since “any idiot can go to court.”
Background
Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance, filed a defamation suit against Captain Smart Friday, June 2, 2023 at the Accra High Court.
Mr. Ofori-Atta, is demanding a “recovery of the sum of Ten Million Ghana Cedis (GH¢10,000,000.00) as general damages including aggravated and/or exemplary damages for defamation for the libel uttered by Defendant. An apology for and retraction of the words complained of and particularized supra,” among other things.
Captain Smart has said Ken Ofori-Atta has taken a 10% share out of the $3 billion credit facility from ths International Money Fund.
Captain Smart on May 22, 2023, during his show asked “are you aware that Ken Ofori-Atta has taken his 10% of the IMF money? Every loan we take he takes 10%.”
Mr Ofori-Atta is therefore seeking a declaration that the words uttered by Captain Smart, are defamatory.
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The Finance Minister is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the Captain Smart, whether by himself, his servants, agents or assigns from repeating similar or other defamatory words against him.
He contends that the statement are “not only palpably false, absolutely fabricated but were also deliberately calculated to disparage the Plaintiff. Those words are malicious and were clearly further intended to convey and would be understood to convey meanings that diminish the Plaintiff in the minds of right thinking members of society.”
“The said words set out supra in their natural and ordinary meaning meant and were understood to mean inter alia
a. That Plaintiff is corrupt,
b. That Plaintiff has diverted public funds and
c. That Plaintiff has abused his office.
“By reason of the foregoing, Plaintiff has been greatly injured in his credit, character and reputation, and has been brought into public scandal, ridicule, distress and embarrassment and has thereby suffered damage,” the summon contained.
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