The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi has sued media personality Afia Schwarzenegger, also known as Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa for defamation.
In a Statement of Claim filed at an Accra High Court, and sighted by Ghana Weekend on Wednesday July 23, the plaintiff, through his lawyers Sustineri Attorneys PRUC, seeks several reliefs including a declaration that the statements made in the TikTok video constitute defamation, general and exemplary damages to the tune of GHS 10 million, and a perpetual injunction to restrain the defendant from making further defamatory publications.
The Allegations
The defamatory statements, made in Asante Twi and translated into English for the court, accuse Mr. Gyamfi of extramarital affairs and lavish spending on unnamed female students at the University of Ghana.
Afia Schwarzenegger claims to hold a “list” of girls Mr. Gyamfi allegedly buys cars for and attempts to link his wife’s family to unexplained wealth acquisition in the United States, particularly citing a house purchase by his wife’s younger sister.
“Tell Sammy Gyamfi’s wife that I am greeting her. Her husband is still buying cars for girls in Legon… Even his wife’s younger sister has bought a house in the US,” the viral TikTok video claimed.
The plaintiff contends that these statements are not only false and unsubstantiated but were calculated to damage his public image, especially given his prominence as a political figure and lawyer.
Reliefs Sought
Sammy Gyamfi is asking the court for:
A declaration that the publication is defamatory;
General damages for defamation;
Exemplary damages of GHS 10 million;
A perpetual injunction restraining further publication of the same or similar content;
A public retraction and apology to be published on the front and back pages of The Daily Graphic for three consecutive editions, as well as on TikTok and any other platforms where the publication was made;
Legal costs, including counsel’s fees.
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