The High Court’s General Jurisdiction 1 has dismissed Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo‑Markin’s GH¢15 million defamation suit against Ghana Gold Board chief executive officer Sammy Gyamfi over an allegedly defamatory statement. The court found the writ of summons incurably defective and incompetent, ruling that it failed to properly invoke its jurisdiction.
In reaching its decision, the court relied on the precedent set in Coleman v Newmont and the procedural requirements outlined in Owusu Domena, particularly the need for objections to be raised promptly. The ruling brings the proceedings initiated under the defective writ to an end, but it does not determine whether the statements complained of were defamatory, as the court’s decision concerned the procedural validity of the action.
Afenyo‑Markin announced the lawsuit in Parliament on 24 August 2026, following allegations of extortion made against him amid a dispute involving the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) and the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme. The suit also named Multimedia Group Limited as a defendant. The Minority Leader maintained that the allegations were false and intended to damage his reputation.
The case subsequently generated disagreement over the service of the writ. Gyamfi authorised his lawyers, Ayine & Partners, to accept the court documents, while Afenyo‑Markin’s lawyers later maintained that service had been completed and rejected claims that their client was avoiding it.
With the dismissal, the lawsuit is effectively concluded, leaving the parties to address the underlying dispute through other legal or political avenues. The court’s decision highlights the importance of procedural compliance in defamation actions and may influence how future cases are filed against public officials in Ghana.
