Lawyers for Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, have been granted permission to seek an out-of-court settlement in a defamation case filed against him by Lawrence Asiamah Hanson, also known as Bulldog.

Bulldog, the artist’s manager, had filed a defamation suit against Shatta Wale. The plaintiff, Bulldog, is seeking damages for alleged defamation as well as the malicious publication of falsehood against him by the defendant.

“The series of publications that Defendant has made and continues to make about Plaintiff are actuated by plain malice,” the writ filed by Bulldog’s Lawyer, Justice Srem-Sai said.

On Tuesday, March 7, 2023, the plaintiff’s lawyers, led by Dr Justice Srem-Sai, informed the court that the parties had begun settlement negotiations and would require a month’s adjournment.

This, he said is the reason they were unable to file the written submissions as per the orders of the court.

“We would like to request one more adjournment to try to reach an agreement, and depending on the outcome, we may formally request an extension of time to file our witness statement,” Dr Justice Srem-Sai told the court.

After listening to the parties, Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang Owusu, presiding over the Accra High Court’s General Jurisdiction 13, encouraged them to settle the matter out of court.

Murtala Inusah, Shatta Wale, and Bulldog were spotted having a friendly conversation, according to EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent.

The case has been postponed until April 18, 2023.

Reliefs

The plaintiff is seeking the following reliefs

1. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by Defendant as particularised in the Statement of Claim are defamatory to Plaintiff.

A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by Defendant in the Statement of Claim are malicious.
An order of the Court directed at Defendant to on all his social media pages or accounts, make a publication on seven (7) consecutive days of an unqualified retraction of and unreserved apology for the defamatory words that Defendant has published about Plaintiff, such retraction and apology to be vetted and approved by the Plaintiff’s lawyers.

An order of the Court for perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his agents, workmen, assigns and servants from publishing or further publishing any defamatory words against the Plaintiff.

General damages for defamation.
Special damages for defamation.
Punitive damages for the malicious publication of falsehood against Plaintiff.
Cost, and Any other orders or remedies that the Court may deem fit

Background

On November 02, 2022, Shatta Wale was said to have made a publication on his Facebook page implicating his former manager, Bulldog in the murder of Fennec Okyere among others.

Upon this, the Ghana Police Service opened investigations into the defendant’s publications.

Fennec Okyere, who was the manager of the controversial musician, Kwaw Kese, was murdered at his Manet Gardens residence on Spintex Road, Accra on Thursday, March 13, 2014, by unknown assailants. He died at age 31.

Lawrence Nana Asiama Hanson was picked up by the Police Criminal Investigative Department (CID) as a suspect in the death of Fennec Okyere.

This was because Bullgod (then known as Bulldog) who had regular beefs with Fennec Okyere, had supposedly threatened him in an interview.

In 2017, the courts, on the advice of the Attorney-General that there was no evidence against the accused, discharged Bulldog.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Murtala Inusah