Albert Kan-Dapaah, National Security Minister
The Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has filed an application at the High Court praying for an order to allow him to use substituted service to serve Oliver Barker-Vormawor, after several failed attempts by bailiffs to present court documents to the #FixTheCountry campaigner, in respect of a defamation case against him.
He filed a defamation suit against Barker-Vormawor over claims the latter made to the effect that the National Security Minister had offered him a bribe of $1million by way of inducement for his to stop its demonstrations against the government.
Mr Kan-Dapaah’s ex-parte motion, which was filed on October 19, is expected to be moved in court on Friday, October 27, 2023 by the lawyer for the Minister, Bright Okyere Agyekum.
In an accompanying affidavit in support of his motion, Mr Kan-Dapaah asserted: “It had not been possible to effect service personally on the defendant (Oliver Barker-Vormawor) with the writ of summons and statement of claim and it has become impracticable to do so as I do not know the place of abode of the defendant and attempts to effect service on him at his place of work as I know, has also proved unsuccessful.”
He believes “the defendant can be reached by posting or leaving copies of the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim at places such as on the Notice Board of this Honourable Court to remain for a period of 14 days and Per Single Publication in the Daily Graphic “.
Background
Somewhere in September, Mr Kan Dapaah filed a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim against Oliver Barker-Vormawor for defamation.
Mr Dapaah sought relief in a declaration that the words uttered by Defendant and particularised below or words to that effect were defamatory of him.
He intimated in the writ that the defendant had claimed that “they went as far as offering us US$1Million, they offered us a Committee Appointment, set up a Committee and appoint us to Government positions to stop this activism.
This was made directly to me and other leaders of Fix the Country Movement…This conversation we had with the Minister of National Security, the Minister of Finance, and a Brigadier General at a safe home.”
Mr Dapaah is asking the court for an order of recovery of the sum of GHC10 million as General Damages, including Aggravated and Exemplary Damages, for Defamation for the words uttered by the Defendant.
He also wants the court to order the Defendant to apologise for and retract the words complained of supra as well as a perpetual injunction restraining him from repeating similar or other defamatory words against him and costs that the court may deem necessary to be awarded in favour of the applicant.
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