The defamation action initiated by actress Martha Ankomah against popular Kumawood actor, Kwadwo Nkansah over alleged disparaging comments about her would be heard on July 31.
This was after the High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Forson Agyapong Baah successfully completed Case Management Conference on Thursday, July 25.
While adjourning the case to July 31, the last Court sitting for the 2023/2024 Legal Year for hearing, Justice Baah directed that, “Let hearing notice and today’s (Thursday July 25) Court notes be served by the usual means on defendant (Lil Win).”
EIB Network Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah reports that though Martha Ankomah (Plaintiff) and her lawyers (Roland Karikari Appau holding Nii Apatu Plange’s brief) were present, Lil Win (Defendant) was absent and there was also no legal representation for him.
Nkansah, popularly known as Lil Win, is heard in a viral video, insulting the actress for what she is alleged to have made.
But, an incensed Lil Win in the video was heard downplaying Martha’s prominence in the film industry.
In a writ of summons filed on February 14, 2024, Martha Ankomah claims that the statement made by Lil Win had caused harm to her reputation and the brand, GTP.
Martha Ankomah is insisting that Lil Win falsely accused her of expressing disdain towards Kumawood actors, by refusing to collaborate with Kumawood actors due to their perceived lack of quality story lines.
Martha Ankomah argues in the Writ that the published words by Lil Win were defamatory.
She is therefore demanding,
b) Damages in the sum of 5 million Ghana cedis for the defamatory statements made by Defendant.
c) Compensatory damages for the damage done to the reputation of Plaintiff.
d) Aggravated damages for the reckless and malicious publication of the defamatory words.
e) An order directing the Defendant to publish an apology and a retraction of the said defamatory words with the same prominence.
f) Injunction restraining the Defendant from further publishing and causing to be published the said or similar words defamatory of Plaintiff.
g) Legal Costs
*Background*
It is the case of Martha Ankomah that, during a radio interview on Accra-based, Accra FM, she expressed her disinterest in collaborating with individuals from Kumawood and mentioned witchcraft story lines as one of her disinterests.
While she acknowledged enjoying Kumawood movies in the past, she emphasised that the portrayal of witchcraft no longer appealed to her.
Unhappy with the actress’s submissions, Lil Win, responded and criticised Martha Ankomah for her statement.
It is from the response of Lil Win that Martha Ankomah considers as defamatory and has instituted the legal action.
Statement of Claim
In the statement of claim, Martha Ankomah is seeking a declaration that the words:
“Who knows you? If not for GTP and senior government officials who signed you on at GTP, who would have signed you. What kind of star are you? Even your own daughter doesn’t know you.”
I don’t even know why GTP bypassed the likes of McBrown, Mercy Asiedu and co and made Martha Ankomah their brand ambassador.
“If you had been a male actor, you would have suffered. When you become an actress and you become a start, men take care of you, men rent accommodation for you, men buy you houses, men buy cars for you. You would have suffered as a man but for the fact that you are female. It is men who look after you. You have become a star that is why men take care of your needs, you don’t use your money on anything.”
Martha Ankomah indicated in the writ that she is “a distinguished actress who has featured in a number of movie productions both in Ghana and Nigeria for more than 20 years.
“The Plaintiff has by dint of hard work as an actress, gained respectability amongst members of the movie and creative industry, movie lovers, friends and well-wishers.
“The Plaintiff used to be a brand ambassador for GTP promoting their products but currently holds ambassadorial deals with Yaba Ghana, Vibrant Skin Care and Style In Vogue.
“The Defendant is an actor, musician and comedian. The Defendant is also the founder and director of a school known as Great Minds School.
“The Plaintiff says that on or about the 8th of February 2024, the Defendant without any provocation from Plaintiff went on a tirade on social media, raining insults and invectives on the Plaintiff for allegedly consistently turning down offers from movie directors to feature in twi local movie productions popularly referred to as ‘Kumawood.’”
“The Plaintiff says that the Defendant according to the video circulating all over social media was enraged by the fact that, a director by name Frank Fifi Gharbin had informed him that, Plaintiff had turned down an offer to feature in a Kumawood movie on the basis that most Kumawood movies’ story line do not make sense.
“The Plaintiff vehemently denies this claim and says that she has never had any such conversation with the said director or said anything to that effect to warrant the verbal attack on her.
Source:Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
