Ken Agyapong, Net 2 sued for defamation; to cough up GH¢100m

Lebanese-born Ghanaian businessman Hassan Zein has taken a legal action against Net 2 Television and its owner, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, for showing him in a documentary on tube.

According to Mr Zein, efforts to get the Assin Central Member of Parliament and the media firm to retract and, consequently, apologise has proven futile.

A writ sighted by 3news.com quotes GH¢100 million as the damages being demanded by the businessman.

According to the plaintiff, the showing of the documentary, in December, has defamed him and damaged his reputation.

The documentary is said to have shown Mr Zein in fraud, drugs, money laundering and corruption deals.

It said he had swindled his victims in Togo, Nigeria, Mali, Benin and other countries.

“Plaintiff avers that the video clip together with the commentary and the discussions that followed soon after the clip were highly and seriously defamatory and damaging to [his] reputations and businesses,” the writ noted.

It said by the scope of the broadcast, all over Facebook and Ken City Media’s various platforms, Mr Zein’s partners rebuked him and continue to do so while others withdrew their contracts “that could have and/or has the potential of earning him more income, revenue and/or obtain him business opportunities and among other resources”.

It said lawyers of the plaintiff met Mr Agyapong and management of Net 2 Television for an amicable settlement of the issue.

The writ stated that the defendants assured the businessman of getting those behind the videos arrested.

The defendants also assured of retracting the commentary done after the showing of the documentary.

“Plaintiff asseverates that after more than three months, defendants refused and/or neglected to do all that they promised to do to help salvage the sinking reputation of the plaintiff its negligence caused.”

Mr Zein is therefore seeking an order from the high court to have Mr Agyapong and his media firm pay him GH¢100 million and also offer an unqualified apology.