I woke up on Saturday morning to what appeared like a well-coordinated publication by a section of Ghanaian media of a defamation suit filed against me by Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). Today, I’m told almost all the newspapers in Ghana have the story of the SML suit on their front pages.
SML is the company involved in the shady contract with the Ghana Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance, which the president caused KPMG to probe after my investigation.
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A copy of the writ, signed by Victoria Barth of Sam Okudzeto & Associates, is demanding, among others, damages of GH¢21 million for a publication of the SML scandal in my book, “The President Ghana Never Got.” That section of my book details some major scandals in the Akufo-Addo administration.
The company is aggrieved by references to the SML deal as “the biggest scam”, “the SML scandal,” and “shady.” It is also aggrieved that I referred to its claims of savings made and services rendered as “falsehood” and a “lie.”
It is important to note that the writ was filed on November 1, 2024, almost four months ago, but I have not been served yet.
The publications are made in the wake of the Special Prosecutor’s announcement that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is being investigated over the SML deal and other alleged corruption-related cases.
The editor of an online portal told me on Saturday that someone called to offer him money to publish the story, and he declined. When he asked why, the person claimed I was evading service of the writ.
It must be put on record that I have been in the United States since August 2024, and this is public knowledge.
Besides, SML had sued the Media Foundation for West Africa and me in February 2024 for the publication of the SML scandal. The court served me the writ by substituted service because I was in the United States for a one-year journalism fellowship at Harvard University.
That writ was signed by the same Victoria Barth of Sam Okudzeto & Associates, so the same method of service could have been applied to serve me in this case.
That notwithstanding, I have instructed my lawyers to take steps to have the writ served on me so that I can defend myself in court.
This is the 11th defamation suit against me since 2015. I have never run away from any suit. I am a law-abiding citizen and will avail myself to defend my work, which has saved Ghana hundreds of millions of dollars and resulted in reforms and successful prosecutions.
SIGNED
Manasseh Azure Awuni,
Investigative Journalist and Author
