Shatta Wale, Bulldog agree on settlement terms in principle over defamation case

The High Court in Accra presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang Owusu, adjourned the case after lawyers for Bulldog, corroborated the information given to the court that the parties have reached settlement terms in principle

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, gathered that one of the terms of the settlement is to include a public apology to Bulldog.

Background

On March 7, the dancehall artiste through his lawyer requested the court to oblige them an out-of-court settlement, which was granted.

But the parties failed to reach a settlement when they appeared in court on Tuesday, April 18.

Dr. Justice Srem Sai, counsel for the Plaintiff (Bulldog), said negotiations have failed and the parties were back in court for further directives.

But, counsel for Shatta Wale, Lawyer Selasie Atuwo said the will to settle the matter is mutual for both sides but the issue was about the quantum of the amount.

He, therefore, prayed for an adjournment to enable the parties to try to settle the matter.

“The will to settle the case is there for both sides but the issue now is about the quantum of amount. If we may be given a date to try to settle,” lawyer Selasie Atuwo told the court

The court presided over by Justice Joseph Adu Agyemang Owusu, while adjourning the case to May 16, urged them to try and settle the case before the next court sitting.

“The series of publication that Defendant has made and continues to make about Plaintiff are actuated by plain malice,” the writ filed by Bulldog’s Lawyer, Justice Srem-Sai said.

Reliefs

The plaintiff is seeking the following reliefs

1.A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by Defendant as particularised in the Statement of Claim are defamatory to Plaintiff.

2. A declaration of the Court that the series of publications made by Defendant in the Statement of Claim are malicious.
3. An order of the Court directed at Defendant to on all his social media pages or accounts, make a publication on seven (7) consecutive days of an unqualified retraction of and unreserved apology for the defamatory words that Defendant has published about Plaintiff, such retraction and apology to be vetted and approved by the Plaintiff’s lawyers.
4. An order of the Court for perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant, his agents, workmen, assigns, and servants from publishing or further publishing any defamatory words against the Plaintiff.
5. General damages for defamation.
6. Special damages for defamation.
7. Punitive damages for the malicious publication of falsehood against the Plaintiff.
8. Cost, and
9. Any other orders or remedies that the Court may deem fit

Subject matter

On November 02, 2022, Shatta Wale was said to have made a publication on his Facebook page implicating his former manager, Bulldog in the murder of Fennec Okyere among others.

Upon this the Ghana Police Service opened investigations into the defendant’s publications.

Fennec Okyere, who was the manager of the controversial musician, Kwaw Kese, was murdered at his Manet Gardens residence on Spintex Road, Accra on Thursday, March 13, 2014, by unknown assailants. He died at age 31.

Lawrence Nana Asiama Hanson was picked up by the Police Criminal Investigative Department (CID) as a suspect in the death of Fennec Okyere.

This was because Bullgod (then known as Bulldog) who had regular beef with Fennec Okyere, had supposedly threatened him in an interview.

In 2017, the courts, on the advice of the Attorney-General that there was no evidence against the accused, discharged Bulldog.