PROFESSOR ERNEST ARYEETEY v. PROFESSOR EBENEZER ODURO OWUSU AND UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

Professor Ernest Aryeetey, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, sued the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebenezer Oduro-Owusu (1st Defendant), and the University of Ghana (2nd Defendant) for defamation arising from statements made in March 2018, August 2018, and July 2019 that accused him of signing the Africa Integras concession agreement without due diligence, hiding documents, and engaging in corrupt or wrongful acts. The statements were widely published by news outlets and University channels. The High Court, per Justice William Boampong, found that the 1st Defendant admitted making the statements but pleaded justification and fair comment, claiming they were honest opinion and true. The Court held the publications were about the Plaintiff, were untrue, and that the 1st Defendant failed to prove the underlying facts and acted with malice, given extensive documentary evidence (minutes, agreements, web publications, and Council records) showing the project’s transparency. The Court awarded GH¢300,000 in damages, ordered a retraction and apology, restrained further defamation, assessed GH¢30,000 costs against the 1st Defendant, and directed the 2nd Defendant to bear its own costs.