An Accra High Court has denied the application of #FixTheCountry Convener Oliver Barker-Vormawor to dismiss National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah’s ¢10 million defamation suit against him.
On Thursday, the Court presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang noted that the application for dismissal of the suit was without merit.
It also imposed a ¢3,000 fine on the applicant.
The National Security Minister sued the lead convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement for defamation demanding ¢10 million as general damages for alleging that the Ministry attempted to stop his “activism” with a $1 million bribe.
In a writ issued on Tuesday, September 26, the lawyers of the Minister also demanded “An apology and retraction of the words” by Mr Barker-Vormawor.
The complainant also demanded that there should be a “Perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from repeating similar or other defamatory words against the plaintiff.”
Take $1m and stop the ‘activism’
On September 22, Mr Barker-Vormawor claimed in a statement to journalists that he and his colleagues had turned down an offer made by the Minister of National Security in a secret meeting.
The lead convenor had also posted on X (formerly Twitter), on September 21, alleging that “The cabinet promised us $1 million if only we can stop the demonstration. We rejected!”
The National Security Ministry responded by asking Mr Barker-Vormawor to provide evidence to support his claims.
In a statement issued by the Ministry on Friday, September 22, it acknowledged a meeting with the conveners of the FixTheCountry movement together with Ministers for National Security, Finance, and other relevant stakeholders, in 2021 to listen to their concerns.
However, the Ministry emphasised it had not offered money or appointments as a means to induce the activism of the pressure group.
The Ministry thereby advised the populace to disregard the claims made by Mr Barker-Vormawor.
‘I’ll release audio recording of Kan Dapaah’s $1m offer to silence me’
On Saturday, September 23, Mr Barker-Vormawor accepted the challenge by the Ministry to provide evidence to back his claim of the bribery offer.
According to the lawyer cum activist, he has evidence to his claims and would release it in the public domain after the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
Mr Barker-Vormawor clarified that the meeting he [Oliver Barker-Vormawor] referred to was an exclusive secret meeting between him and the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah even before the first #FixTheCountry protest in 2021.
“The Minister of National Security has issued a statement claiming that I was met with other FixTheCountry conveners and other stakeholders.
“I want to put it on record that the meeting I am talking about happened exclusively between myself and the Minister for National Security where that offer was made to me.
“I will release an audio into the public domain, which would confirm that the Minister invited me to a secret safe house location, that we should have an individual meeting between him and myself, at which meeting he made that offer to myself.
“No other FixThecountry convener was involved there,” he revealed on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday.
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