Accra (Greater Accra) 14 June ?99

Brotherly Link Limited, a company which deals in Mega-Susu scheme, and its four directors have filed a writ at an Accra High Court against the Bank of Ghana (BOG) for causing a libellous and defamatory article to be published against them.

Mega-Susu is a scheme, under which a group of people called "contributors" pool resources for a member, who benefits from a fixed amount at a given point in time.

In their writ, the plaintiffs are claiming general damages for libel and defamatory article published in the "Daily Graphic" on June one, which imputed criminal and fraudulent intentions to their operations.

Mr Clint Dickoh, Mr Seth Anim Amanor, Mr Stephen Buckman Okyere and Mr Wisdom Ebow Panford are the directors.

Defendants mentioned in the writ are, BOG, Mr D. O. Andah, Director of Non-banking Institutions Department of BOG, the Graphic Corporation, Mr Yaw Ayeboafoh, Acting Editor of the Graphic and Golden Neo Life Diamite International, a foreign-based company.

No date has been fixed for hearing.

The plaintiffs are seeking a court order to restrain the defendants from repeating the libellous statements or publications concerning them.

They are again claiming damages for libel and defamation, "punitive and exemplary damages for the reckless and destructive manner the defendants have gone about so sensitive an issue, which made them to lose their customers".

The plaintiffs are seeking a court's order to compel the defendants to publish at their own expense, four consecutive editions in the same medium used, a retraction and or withdrawal of the article and render an unqualified apology.

Mr Thomas Nuako Ward-Brew is the counsel for the plaintiffs.