The Accra High Court has dismissed a GH¢15 million defamation lawsuit filed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin against Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over comments describing the Effutu MP as an “extortionist”.
The General Jurisdiction 1 Division of the High Court set aside the suit after finding that the writ of summons did not provide sufficient particulars of the allegedly defamatory publication, rendering the process defective.
The court consequently set aside the writ of summons and statement of claim filed by Afenyo-Markin on August 24, 2026.
Having considered the applicable procedural rules and legal authorities, the judge upheld the objection that the failure to adequately identify the publication complained of made the writ legally incompetent.
The court also ordered that there would be no order as to costs.
The ruling was based on procedural deficiencies and did not determine the merits of the defamation allegations against Mr Gyamfi. It therefore did not establish whether the disputed remarks were defamatory.
In reaching its decision, the court relied on legal precedents, including Coleman v Newmont and Owusu Domena, concerning procedural objections.
The lawsuit stemmed from a public dispute over an alleged US$1.7 billion loss under the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme, which prompted debate over the programme’s accountability.
During an August 2026 broadcast of JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Gyamfi reportedly referred to the Minority Leader as an “extortionist”, prompting the legal action.
Afenyo-Markin subsequently sued Mr Gyamfi, seeking GH¢15 million in general damages, an injunction and a public retraction of the statement.
The dismissal leaves the substantive question of whether the comments amounted to defamation unresolved.
