Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has filed a defamation lawsuit against popular broadcaster Blessed Godsbrain Smart, known as Captain Smart, and Media General Limited.
The suit, lodged at the Accra High Court on January 2, stems from statements made by Captain Smart on December 27 during a radio and TV broadcast.
In the controversial broadcast, Captain Smart claimed that certain members of the Ghana Armed Forces and officials within the Ghana Police Service were allegedly plotting a coup d’état to destabilize the country’s constitutional order. Additionally, he accused Mr. Yohuno of securing his position as Deputy IGP through political influence and attending meetings to facilitate his appointment. Smart further alleged that Yohuno, who was purportedly a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), visited the homes of National Democratic Congress (NDC) officials and offered money in an attempt to lobby for his promotion to IGP.
In response, Mr. Yohuno is seeking legal redress and has asked the court to grant general damages for defamation. He also seeks an injunction to prevent Captain Smart and Media General from making further defamatory statements, as well as a court order requiring them to publicly retract their statements. Furthermore, he is demanding that Captain Smart and Media General air unreserved apologies on three separate occasions on Onua TV and FM.
The defamation case has brought attention to the ongoing tensions between public figures and the media in Ghana, with potential implications for how accusations of this nature are handled in the country’s legal and media landscape.
