A Cape Coast High Court has ruled in favour of Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, awarding him GH¢700,000 in damages in a defamation suit against Stephen Cobbah, also known as Adepa, and Yaw Korankye, alias Ampong.
The Court declared that statements made by the Defendants on the “Assinman Politics Gh.” WhatsApp platform in March 2024 were defamatory and malicious, severely damaging the reputation of Rev. Fordjour.
The Court also awarded costs of GH¢20,000 against each Defendant, in addition to ordering a perpetual injunction restraining them from making further defamatory statements.
In a landmark decision delivered on Monday, April 28, 2025, the presiding judge emphasized that freedom of expression must be balanced with the responsibility not to harm others’ reputations unjustly.
“The words published by the Defendants were clearly defamatory and calculated to tarnish the Plaintiff’s image. The Court has a duty to uphold the dignity of individuals against such reckless abuse of social media platforms,” the Judge stated.
The Court further directed that the Defendants retract the defamatory statements with the same level of prominence with which they were originally published.
Additionally, each Defendant must issue an unqualified written apology to Rev. Fordjour and cause it to be published on the Assinman Politics Gh. platform and any other social media sites where the defamatory comments were circulated.