The Accra High Court has dismissed the GH¢15 million defamation suit filed by the Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, against the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
Afenyo-Markin’s suit stemmed from comments allegedly made by Sammy Gyamfi during JoyNews’ Newsfile programme, where he described the Minority Leader as an “extortionist”.
The Minority Leader initiated the legal action in August 2026, seeking GH¢15 million in damages over the alleged defamatory remarks, arguing that the comments were false and had the potential to damage his reputation as a lawyer, politician and public figure.
Afenyo-Markin’s suit also named Multimedia Group Limited, the parent company of JoyNews, as a defendant, with the Minority Leader seeking a retraction, an unqualified public apology and an injunction.
However, reports gathered suggest the Court, on October 14, 2026, ruled that Afenyo-Markin’s writ was “incurably defective, incompetent and incapable of properly invoking the Court’s jurisdiction”.
A Joy News flyer stated, “High Court throws out Afenyo-Markin’s GH¢15 million defamation suit against Sammy Gyamfi, says writ is incurably defective, incompetent and incapable of invoking the court’s jurisdiction”.
Meanwhile, details have emerged on the Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, lawsuit against the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Eric Adjei, Multimedia Group and Peace FM.
Afenyo-Markin, in a separate lawsuit, sued Sammy Gyamfi and Multimedia Group at the Accra High Court.
The Minority leader also sued Eric Adjei and Peace FM at the Achimota Circuit Court.
Speaking when Parliament reconvened on Monday, August 24, 2026, the Minority leader revealed he has initiated legal proceedings against Mr Gyamfi and media organisations that published or broadcast the statements in question.
Afenyo-Markin stated, “I have accordingly caused writs to be filed in Suit Number GT/1029/2026, titled Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin versus Samuel Adu Gyamfi and Multimedia Group Limited at the Accra High Court, and Suit Number GR/ACH/CC/C5/02/2026, titled Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin versus Eric Adjei and Peace FM at the Achimota Circuit Court”.
“I have every confidence that in the fullness of time the court will make the appropriate determination,” he added.
The legal action follows weeks of public exchanges between the Minority Leader and the GoldBod CEO over the financial performance of the DGPP, while Afenyo-Markin had appeared to have softened his earlier threat to pursue legal action over allegations made by Sammy Gyamfi.
The court cited details that the reliefs being sought by Afenyo-Markin including a retraction of the alleged defamatory statements.
“The reliefs are listed below:
a. General damages for libel;
b. Aggravated damages;
c. Exemplary damages;
d. An order directing the defendants to publish a full, unconditional and unequivocal retraction of the defamatory statements;
e. An order directing the defendants to publish a full, unconditional and unequivocal public apology to the plaintiff; and
f. An order directing that the retraction and apology be published and/or broadcast with substantially the same prominence and reach as the original publication.
g. An order directing the Defendants to cause the retraction and apology to be broadcast on JoyNews and published on the relevant electronic and social media platforms through which the defamatory publication was disseminated
h. An order of perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants, their servants, agents, assigns and/or any persons acting under their authority from further publishing the defamatory words or any words to the same or substantially similar effect concerning the Plaintiff
i. Costs of Fifteen million Ghana cedis (GH¢15,000,000.00) as compensation thereof
j. Costs, including legal costs; and
k. Any further or other reliefs as this Honourable Court may deem fit”.
See the post below:
@ghnow_ Part 4: National Security officers have arrested a group of people allegedly involved in illegal sand winning at Sewua along the Accra–Kumasi Highway. The arrests follow the grading of the road’s right of way by military engineers ahead of the commencement of construction works. #GHNow #GhanaNews #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Part 3: National Security officers have arrested a group of people allegedly involved in illegal sand winning at Sewua along the Accra–Kumasi Highway. The arrests follow the grading of the road’s right of way by military engineers ahead of the commencement of construction works. #GHNow #GhanaNews #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
