Immigration boss slaps Johnnie Hughes and TV3 with GH¢20m defamation lawsuit

The Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service, Kwame Asuah Takyi has sued the managers of TV3, Media General over some alleged incidents of defamation.

The suit which makes GH¢20 million demand in damages also named the host of the morning show on the television network, Johnnie Hughes as a co-respondent.

According to details of the suit published by Dailyguidenetwork.com, the host on the Johnnies Bite, a segment on the show, made statements that were defamatory to the person of the Immigration Service boss.

“Comptroller General, you were interdicted in 2013. That is what your officers are saying for the same visa fraud and permit malpractices. As of your 2019/2020 since your directive came, you are bringing all those pets to you. The people are begging to ask questions again. What are you up to? Are you doing something again?

“They say they don’t understand why you have tried to centralise everything when you have made guilty in the past and went on interdiction. Until 2017, you were interdicted five (5) years.

“The corruption must stop, Takyi must go” the suit repeated some statements said to have been made by the journalist between August 24 and September 23, 2022, on the programme.

According to the plaintiff, the journalist by his statements described him as a corrupt official who treats his officers unfairly and poorly and as well uses his office to settle personal issues with other officers.

Kwame Asuah Takyi also averred that the publication by the journalist has caused right thinking persons to believe he has a questionable character and is unfit to fulfil his mandate as Comptroller General. The plaintiff added that the defendant caused right thinking persons to see him as using his office to enrich himself.

The allegations by the journalist, according to Mr Kwame Asuah Takyi, are false and calculated to dent his image and lower his reputation in the eyes and minds of right thinking members of the public.

The plaintiff deems the statement by the journalist to be defamatory and has asked as part of his demands that the defendants are ordered by a court to retract and delete the publication from its various media platforms, websites, archives or records.

He is also demanding an unqualified apology through the same medium where the statements and publications were made against him.

In addition, the Immigration Service boss is asking for a reward of GHC20 million in damages as well as an order restraining the defendants or assignees from further publication or causing to be published the said words or any other words.