|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale, otherwise known as Charles Nii Armah
Mensah Jnr, has made a plea for an out-of-court settlement in a GH¢10
million defamatory suit brought against him by an event organizing
company, Charter House.
Charter House and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr Iyiola Ayoade,
dragged Shatta Wale to court on October 2, 2014 for defamation.
Further to that, counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr Egbert Faibille Jnr,
filed a motion for an interlocutory injunction that prayed the court
to restrain the defendant from further uploading and or making
defamatory comments about his client.
At the Fast Track High Court’s hearing in Accra yesterday, counsel for
the musician announced to the court that his client would prefer an
out-of-court settlement, but Mr Faibille opposed the move, on the
grounds that the defendant had not shown any sign of remorse to
warrant the settlement.
Opposition to the out-of-court settlement
Admitting that the defence team had last Friday written a letter
asking for an out-of-court settlement, Mr Faibille argued that Shatta
Wale had, after the institution of the suit against him, gone ahead to
cause the publication of more defamatory materials on his Facebook
page.
That attitude, according to counsel, was a clear indication that the
defendant had not repented in any way.
Shatta Wale’s new video sought to portray that the plaintiffs filed
the suit because they were cash-strapped.
Restraining order
Following counsel’s submissions, the court, presided over by Ms Naa
Adoley Azu, granted Mr Faibille’s motion for interlocutory injunction
and subsequently restrained Shatta Wale and his agents from further
publishing defamatory materials about the plaintiffs.
The court also urged the defence team to take steps to concretise
their overtures for an out-of-court settlement.
It also directed it to file its defence in the event talks for the
settlement failed.
Background
Charter House and Mr Ayoade took legal action after Shatta Wale had
accused them of being corrupt and thoughtless in his videos.
The videos also warned the plaintiffs to desist from denying musicians
from other regions of Ghana the needed recognition.
Reliefs being sought
A writ of summons accompanying the suit has prayed the court to order
the defendant to render an unqualified apology and retract each of the
four separate videos.
The plaintiffs further urged the court to allow them to approve
separate videos of the said retraction, which they said should remain
on the defendant’s Facebook wall for a month.
They are also praying the court to order Shatta Wale to send the
videos containing the said apologies to the media houses and online
portals that aired the defamatory videos complained of, at his
expense.
Perpetual injunction
Further to that, the plaintiffs are seeking an order for a perpetual
injunction restraining Shatta Wale from publishing defamatory
materials in the future.
Shatta Wale was absent in court but was represented by his father.
Hearing continues on November 3, 2014.
Graphic Online
