Court dismisses Nana Oye libel suit

An Accra High Court has dismissed the libel suit filed by Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, a former Minister for Gender, Children and Social against Tony Lithur for no reasonable cause of action. On April 25, 2024, Nana Oye commenced an action at the High Court, Accra against Mr Lithur for libel arising out of certain defamatory statements contained in a divorce petition filed by Mr Lithur on May 2, 2018, for the dissolution of their marriage. In the said petition for divorce, Mr Lithur made several allegations against Nana Oye, which, according to her portrayed her as a violent and cruel person, who had no regard for the rights of others except herself and her children. Nana Oye said Mr Lithur went as far as alleging that she on several occasions physically assaulted domestic staff and relatives, sometimes gleefully swallowing their blood after causing injury to them to taunt them. Nana Oye Bampoe Addo per the suit sought some $1.5 million damages against the former husband following a divorce action yet to be conc luded. Justice Rev. Joseph Owusu Adu Agyemang, while ruling on the matter, said no action of defamation could be found in the allegations made against Mr Lithur. The Court also said that no court should allow parties to open Pandora's box in a suit of that nature and that the petition for divorce and its reply are judicial documents. The Court awarded a cost of GH?5,000 against Nana Oye after the Lawyers of Mr Lithur initially had requested for GHc20,000 but Oye Lithur offered to pay GHc1,000. Source: Ghana News Agency