Deputy NPP Communications Director sues A Plus, demands GH¢5 million in damages

Alberta Afia Akoto, Deputy Communication Director of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has filed a lawsuit against Kwame Asare Obeng, also known as A Plus, an independent parliamentary candidate for Gomoa Central, for allegedly making defamatory statements against her.

In the writs of summons, which GhanaWeb has reviewed, Afia Akoto, a former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), claims that A Plus defamed her in a live Facebook post on July 12, 2024.

She is seeking GH¢5 million in damages, among other reliefs.

The reliefs she is seeking, as stated in the court document, include:

a) A declaration that the statements made by the defendant in his Facebook post on July 12, 2024, are defamatory to the plaintiff, as detailed in paragraphs 9 and 12 of the statement of claim.

b) GH¢5,000,000 (Five Million Ghana Cedis) in damages for defamation, including exemplary and punitive damages.

c) A perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar defamatory statements about the plaintiff.

d) An order directing the defendant to retract the defamatory statements made on Facebook on July 12, 2024, and to issue an apology to the plaintiff with the same prominence.

e) Costs, including solicitor’s fees.

The High Court in Accra asked A Plus to respond to the suit within 8 days of receiving it.

“AN ACTION having been commenced against you by the issue of this writ by the above-named Plaintiff.

“YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED that within EIGHT DAYS after service of this writ on you inclusive of the day of service you do cause an appearance to be entered for you.

“AND TAKE NOTICE that in default of your so doing, judgment may be given in your absence without further notice to you.”

What A Plus alleged:

A Plus claimed that Afia Akoto attempted to have a sexual affair with Maxwell Mensah, the husband of actress Nana Ama McBrown.

He alleged that Afia sent nude pictures to Maxwell in an attempt to seduce him, but her efforts were unsuccessful.

He also stated that he intervened to prevent Maxwell from releasing the pictures to the public.

“Maame Afia Akoto, do you remember the photos of that old yellowish ‘ɛtw kutu’ you sent to Maxwell to beg him to come and eat, but he ran away because it was too scary? If you don’t know Maxwell, I’m talking about McBrown’s husband. But for me, McBrown would have finished you! I had to beg for you so that those pictures wouldn’t come out to cause fear and panic in the country.

“I spent days solving this problem only for you to turn around and be fooling. If I resend the photos to you, you’ll shout ‘blood of Jesus!’ Ungrateful fool! Love yourself more than your party. Choose your battles wisely, if not it will go over you! You haven’t seen a foolish man before?” he claimed in his Facebook post.