Court Restrains Raymond Archer and others

court logo The Fast Track High Court, Accra, last Tuesday restrained Raymond Archer, the Editor-in-Chief of the Enquirer and two others from publishing or repeating the publication of materials which are the subject matter of a suit pending before it in respect of Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye pending further or other orders. The court, presided over by Mr. Justice K.A. Ofori Atta in restraining Archer, also restrained the Focal Media Ltd, the company that publishes The Enquirer as well as Godfred Opare Djan, a journalist with newsmen. The application for interlocutory injunction was brought at the instance of Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, following recent publications which have occasioned the institution by him of a Writ of Summons against Archer and the other two. Though Mr Archer was not in court, he was represented by his Counsel, Kofi Somuah, of LiturBrew & Co., an Accra law firm. By the order for interlocutory Injunction, Raymond Archer cannot publish or repeat the publication of similar matters which Prof. Mike Oquaye considers defamatory and for which he has issued a Writ of Summons against Archer and the other Defendants at the High Court. It will be recalled that in the last few weeks, Raymond Archer and The Enquirer have published at least three stories about Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, by which publications they have made various allegations. Prof. Mike Oquaye in his Writ of Summons is asking among others for damages of Six Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢600,000.00) for libel contained in the publications at the front page and page 4 of the Monday, 15th Tuesday 16th November, 2008 issue of The Enquirer and the front page and page 4 of the Monday, 29th – Tuesday, 30th June, 2008 issue of The Enquirer. He is also seeking an order of perpetual injunction to restrain the Defendants, whether by themselves, agents, servants, workmen, privies or any of them or otherwise howsoever from writing, publishing and/or causing to be published the said words or similar statements defamatory of Plaintiff. Source: The Ghanaian Observer