Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, popularly known as Bullgod, has sued Charles Nii Armah Mensah, known in showbiz as Shatta Wale, a Dancehall musician.
According to excepts of the writ of summons available to GhanaWeb, Bulldog, who happens to be the former manager of the artiste, is suing the musician over some recent pronouncements Shatta Wale made regarding the death of another artist manager, Fennec Okyere a.k.a. Fennicks.
In a writ filed at the Accra High Court, Bullgod is seeking damages for the pronouncements that he considers defamatory and also malicious against him by the defendant.
In a social media post on Wednesday, November 2, Shata Wale wrote, “Bull Dog, since you are bringing out secrets, you will tell Ghanaians what happen to Fenicks (sic) Murder!! And I am not joking about this time!!
“I am ready to tell the court about what you told me about you and your men and how you planned that foolish act, get ready. This Akufo-Addo won’t give you a murderer (sic) chance to be on our streets!!! Watch how this ends!!! You can’t fight time!!!” the writ filed by Bulldog’s Lawyer, Dr. Justice Srem-Sai indicated that these statements sought to suggest that his client planned, affected or had a hand in Mr Okyere’s death.
The writ added that Shatta Wale’s claims also meant “that the Plaintiff is a criminal gangster and a danger to society and ought to be in jail (rather than walk freely in the streets).
“That his (the Defendant’s) claims in the publication are factual, truthful, and must be taken seriously by the public and law enforcement authorities.”
The lawyer for the plaintiff stressed that these statements have triggered a re-investigation into the death of Mr Okyere by the police.
Dr. Justice Srem-Sai further cited other statements Shatta Wale has made which they believe to also be defamatory.
They include claims that Bulldog had allegedly said former President Mahama asked him to procure gunmen for a supposed job and also women for him.
The lawyers noted that these statements imply that “the Plaintiff is a person who engages in illicit gun violence, contract killing and other related crimes,” and also “that the Plaintiff is in the trade of procuring, controlling, and arranging prostitutes in return for money and other material gains.”
Reliefs
1. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by the Defendant as particularised in the Statement of Claim are defamatory to the Plaintiff.
2. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by the Defendant in the Statement of Claim are malicious.
3. An order of the Court directed at the 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 the Defendant has published about the Plaintiff, such retraction and apology to be vetted and approved by the Plaintiff’s lawyers.
4. 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.
5. General damages for defamation.
6. Special damages for defamation.
7. Punitive damages for malicious publication of falsehood against the Plaintiff.
8. Cost, and
9. Any other orders or remedies that the Court may deem fit
Background
Fennec Okyere, who was the manager of musician, Kwaw Kese, was murdered at his Manet Gardens residence on the Spintex Road, Accra on Thursday, March 13, 2014, by unknown assailants.
He died at age 31.
Bullgod was picked up by the Police Criminal Investigative Department (CID) as a suspect in the death because he had regular disagreements with his late colleague who he supposedly threatened during an interview.
In 2017, the courts, on the advice of the Attorney-General that there was no evidence against Bullgod and accordingly discharged him.
Find excepts of the writ below.
PEN/SARA
Bullgod and Shatta Wale