The High Court in Accra has been informed that popular Kumawood actor, Kwadwo Nkansah, also known as Lil-Win, has approached actress Martha Ankomah for an out-of-court settlement regarding the GHc5 million defamation suit.
Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lilwin, has been taken to court by Martha Ankomah over some alleged disparaging comments he made about her in public. In court on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, the final day of the 2023/2024 Legal Year, when the case was scheduled for hearing before Justice Forson Agyapong Baah, Counsel for the Plaintiff, Nii Apatu Plange, stated, “There has been some development.”
“We were supposed to start the trial today, (Wednesday, July 31). Unfortunately, some development has come up, and I pray that my client and I approach the bench,” Counsel submitted.
After approaching the bench with his client (Martha Ankomah), Counsel stated that some overtures had been made towards them for settlement by the Defendant. Justice Forson Agyapong Baah, the presiding judge, acknowledged before adjourning the case that the Plaintiff and her lawyers have agreed to settle the matter.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, who was present in court, reported that the case has been adjourned to August 15, 2024, during the legal vacation, to finalize the settlement and have the agreed terms adopted by the court as a consent judgment.
While the Plaintiff, Martha Ankomah, was present in court, Lil-Win (the Defendant) was absent, and there was no legal representation for him. Nkansah, popularly known as Lil-Win, was heard in a viral video insulting the actress over comments she is alleged to have made.
In the video, an agitated Lil-Win is heard downplaying Martha’s prominence in the film industry. In a writ of summons filed on February 14, 2024, Martha Ankomah claims that the statements made by Lil-Win have harmed her reputation and the brand, GTP.
Martha Ankomah insists that Lil-Win falsely accused her of showing disdain towards Kumawood actors by refusing to collaborate with them due to their perceived lack of quality storylines.
Martha Ankomah argues in the writ that Lil-Win’s published words were defamatory.
She is therefore demanding:
a) Damages in the sum of GHc5 million for the defamatory statements made by the Defendant.
b) Compensatory damages for the damage done to the reputation of the Plaintiff.
c) Aggravated damages for the reckless and malicious publication of the defamatory words.
d) An order directing the Defendant to publish an apology and a retraction of the defamatory words with the same prominence.
e) An injunction restraining the Defendant from further publishing or causing to be published the said or similar words defamatory of the Plaintiff.
f) Legal costs.
Background
Martha Ankomah claims that during a radio interview on Accra-based Accra FM, she expressed her disinterest in collaborating with individuals from Kumawood and mentioned witchcraft storylines as one of her disinterests.
While she acknowledged enjoying Kumawood movies in the past, she emphasized that the portrayal of witchcraft no longer appealed to her.
Unhappy with the actress’s comments, Lil-Win responded and criticized Martha Ankomah for her statement.
It is Lil-Win’s response that Martha Ankomah considers defamatory and has led her to institute legal action.
Statement of Claim
In the statement of claim, Martha Ankomah is seeking a declaration that the words:
“Who knows you? If not for GTP and senior government officials who signed you on at GTP, who would have signed you? What kind of star are you? Even your own daughter doesn’t know you. I don’t even know why GTP bypassed the likes of McBrown, Mercy Asiedu, and others and made Martha Ankomah their brand ambassador. If you had been a male actor, you would have suffered. When you become an actress and become a star, men take care of you, men rent accommodation for you, men buy you houses, and men buy cars for you. You would have suffered as a man, but for the fact that you are female. It is men who look after you. You have become a star; that is why men take care of your needs; you don’t use your money for anything.”
Martha Ankomah indicates in the writ that she is “a distinguished actress who has featured in a number of movie productions both in Ghana and Nigeria for more than 20 years.
“The Plaintiff has, through hard work as an actress, gained respectability among members of the movie and creative industry, movie lovers, friends, and well-wishers.
“The Plaintiff used to be a brand ambassador for GTP promoting their products but currently holds ambassadorial deals with Yaba Ghana, Vibrant Skin Care, and Style In Vogue.
“The Defendant is an actor, musician, and comedian. He is also the founder and director of a school known as Great Minds School.
“The Plaintiff says that on or about February 8, 2024, Defendant, without any provocation from the Plaintiff, went on a tirade on social media, hurling insults and invectives at Plaintiff for allegedly consistently turning down offers from movie directors to feature in Twi local movie productions popularly referred to as ‘Kumawood.’
“The Plaintiff asserts that the Defendant’s comments, circulating widely on social media, were provoked by a director named Frank Fifi Gharbin informing him that the Plaintiff had turned down an offer to feature in a Kumawood movie on the grounds that most Kumawood movies’ storylines do not make sense.
“The Plaintiff vehemently denies this claim and asserts that she has never had any such conversation with the said director or said anything to that effect to warrant the verbal attack on her.”
Starrfm.com.gh
