New Crusading Guide dragged to court

May 6, 2010 (Page 3 Lead)

A FORMER Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, has sued Mr Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-chief of The New Crusading Guide and another, claiming damages for libel.
In the suit filed at the Fast Track High Court in Accra, the plaintiff claimed that in an article in the Monday, January 25, 2010 edition of the newspaper with the title ‘Tsatsu Tsikata - A Clear and Present Danger of Ghana,’ the editor-in-chief and his newspaper created the impression that he (Tsatsu) was influencing foreign businesses to the detriment of others.
The writ also sought to restrain Mr Baako and Kweku Baako Media Limited, publishers of The New Crusading Guide, from continuing to publish libellous materials against the plaintiff.
Mr Baako, however, has not filed a defence to the suit because his counsel, Mr Egbert Faibille Jnr, is challenging the service of the writ on his client.
According to the plaintiff, the story which was accompanied by his picture stated among other things that, during his tenure as Chief Executive of GNPC, huge amounts were spent on seismic data coupled with business-unfriendly petroleum agreements that almost actively discouraged prospecting companies from looking at Ghana.
A statement of claim, accompanying the writ of summons, said the story further imputed that the plaintiff was "an individual driven not by intellect and objectivity but by jealousy, vindictiveness and myopic thinking."
It further stated that the story portrayed that the plaintiff had blown $68 million in his innuendo and vindictiveness, was tribalistic and had also woven himself into the position of advisor on energy to President Mills, among many other allegations.
According to the plaintiff, the story in its entirety lowered him in the estimation of right thinking members of society and exposed him to hatred and contempt by its numerous false allegations.
It also accused the defendants of not crosschecking issues with him before publishing the said story adding that, "it is evident from the said article and from other articles the defendants have published that the defendants are simply waging a vicious campaign against the plaintiff and in favour of other persons."
The plaintiff further accused the defendants of clearly making allegations calculated to damage the legitimate business interests of a company owned by his wife.