Korsi Bodja, the Volta Regional Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has been hit with a GH¢1 million defamation lawsuit filed by one Emmanuel Quarshie and Pope Yao Yevoo.
This legal action stems from allegations of defamation following the recent Assin North by-election.
The lawsuit, detailed in a writ obtained by Asaase News, outlines the plaintiffs' claims that they were NPP campaigners assigned to Ewe communities within the Assin North constituency in preparation for the 27 June by-election.
Yevoo and Quarshie assert that they fulfilled their campaign duties diligently and without any misconduct that could tarnish their own reputations or that of the NPP.
However, their shock arose from WhatsApp conversations purportedly involving Korsi Bodja, the defendant. In these messages, Bodja accused the plaintiffs of diverting campaign materials intended for distribution to Ewe constituents in the Assin North constituency.
According to the lawsuit, various media outlets further propagated these allegations based on a petition submitted by Bodja himself. The petition had been addressed to the party's national secretary and called for the suspension of Yevoo and Quarshie, alleging the diversion of party items like "hair dryers, cutlasses, Wellington boots, head pans, fertilizers, and sewing machines."
The plaintiffs argue that Bodja's claims are "false and malicious," designed to portray them as dishonest and thieving individuals who cannot be trusted. They contend that these statements have caused significant damage to their reputation, causing distress and embarrassment.
The plaintiffs' prayers to the court include a declaration that Bodja's statements are defamatory, seeking damages of one million Ghana cedis (GH¢1,000,000) for defamation. They also request an order for Bodja to retract the defamatory statements and publish the retraction with equal prominence, as well as an injunction restraining Bodja from making further defamatory statements about them.
As of now, the defendant, Korsi Bodja, has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
GA/SARA
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