Popular dancehall artiste, Charles Nii Armah Mensah, also known as Shatta Wale and his former Manager, Lawrence Asiamah Hanson, aka Bullgod have reached an agreement in principle to settle the defamation suit out of court.

On April 18, 2023, lawyers for Shatta Wale requested a month for further negotiations after lawyers for Bullgod indicated the parties failed to reach an agreement.

Back in court after a month, Lawyers for Shatta Wale announced to the Court that, the parties have now agreed settlement terms in principle.

He, therefore, prayed the court for a month adjournment for the parties to draft the terms of settlement and the same filed to the court for its adoption as a consent judgement.

The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang Owusu, adjourned the case after lawyers for Bullgod, corroborated the information given to the court that the parties have reached settlement terms in principle

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, gathered that one of the terms of the settlement is to include a public apology to Bulldog.

Background

On March 7, the dancehall artiste through his lawyer requested the court to oblige them with an out-of-court settlement, which was granted.

But the parties failed to reach a settlement when they appeared in court on Tuesday, April 18.

Dr Justice Srem Sai, counsel for the Plaintiff (Bullgod), said negotiations have failed and the parties were back in court for further directives.

But, counsel for Shatta Wale, Lawyer Selasie Atuwo said the will to settle the matter is mutual for both sides but the issue was about the quantum of the amount.

He, therefore, prayed for an adjournment to enable the parties to try to settle the matter.

“The will to settle the case is there for both sides but the issue now is about the quantum of amount. If we may be given a date to try to settle,” lawyer Selasie Atuwo told the court

The court presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang Owusu, while adjourning the case to May 16, urged them to try and settle the case before the next court sitting.

Shatta Wale was dragged to court by Lawrence Asiamah Hanson also known as Bulldog for defamation and the plaintiff is seeking damages for the alleged defamation and the same for malicious publication of falsehood against him by the defendant.

“The series of publications that the Defendant has made and continues to make about the Plaintiff are actuated by plain malice,” the writ filed by Bulldog’s Lawyer, Justice Srem-Sai said.

Reliefs

The plaintiff is seeking the following reliefs

1. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by the Defendant as particularised in the Statement of Claim are defamatory to the Plaintiff.

2. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by the Defendant in the Statement of Claim are malicious.

3. An order of the Court directed at the Defendant to on all his social media pages or accounts, make a publication on seven (7) consecutive days of an unqualified retraction of and unreserved apology for the defamatory words that the Defendant has published about the Plaintiff, such retraction and apology to be vetted and approved by the Plaintiff’s lawyers.

4. An order of the Court for perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his agents, workmen, assigns and servants from publishing or further publishing any defamatory words against the Plaintiff.

5. General damages for defamation.

6. Special damages for defamation.

7. Punitive damages for malicious publication of falsehood against the Plaintiff.

8. Cost, and

9. Any other orders or remedies that the Court may deem fit

Subject matter

On November 02, 2022, Shatta Wale was said to have made a publication on his Facebook page implicating his former manager, Bulldog in the murder of Fennec Okyere among others.

Upon this, the Ghana Police Service opened investigations into the defendant’s publications.

Fennec Okyere, who was the manager of the controversial musician, Kwaw Kese, was murdered at his Manet Gardens residence on Spintex Road, Accra on Thursday, March 13, 2014, by unknown assailants. He died at age 31.

Lawrence Nana Asiama Hanson was picked up by the Police Criminal Investigative Department (CID) as a suspect in the death of Fennec Okyere.

This was because Bullgod (then known as Bulldog) who had regular beef with Fennec Okyere, had supposedly threatened him in an interview.

In 2017, the courts, on the advice of the Attorney-General that there was no evidence against the accused, discharged Bulldog.