Manasseh Azure Awuni an award-winning investigative journalist has reacted to a defamation suit filed against him by Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) over claims made in his book, ‘The President Ghana Never Got’.
According to Manasseh Azure Awuni, he stands by everything he has published on the SML scandal and is ready to defend it in court.
The investigative journalist revealed his lawyers have written to the court and have been served the writ of SML’s GHS21 million defamation suit against him.
Manasseh added his lawyers will enter appearance today, and the rest of the processes will continue.
In a post on social media page X, Manasseh Azure wrote, “My lawyers have written to the court and have been served the writ of SML’s GHS21 million defamation suit against me. They will enter appearance today, and the rest of the processes will continue.
I stand by everything I have published on the SML scandal and am ready to defend it in court”, he added.
Manasseh Azure Awuni in an earlier post on 22 February 2025, wrote, “I woke up on Saturday morning to what appeared like a well-coordinated publication by a section of Ghanaian media of a defamation suit filed against me by Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML). Today, I’m told almost all the newspapers in Ghana have the story of the SML suit on their front pages.
The company is aggrieved by references to the SML deal as “the biggest scam”, “the SML scandal,” and “shady.” It is also aggrieved that I referred to its claims of savings made and services rendered as “falsehood” and a “lie.”
The publications are made in the wake of the Special Prosecutor’s announcement that former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is being investigated over the SML deal and other alleged corruption-related cases.
The editor of an online portal told me on Saturday that someone called to offer him money to publish the story, and he declined. When he asked why, the person claimed I was evading service of the writ.
It must be put on record that I have been in the United States since August 2024, and this is public knowledge”, he added.
Manasseh Azure further revealed, “This is the 11th defamation suit against me since 2015. I have never run away from any suit. I am a law-abiding citizen and will avail myself to defend my work, which has saved Ghana hundreds of millions of dollars and resulted in reforms and successful prosecutions”.
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has accused the investigative Journalist of publishing libellous content, in Chapter 28 of his book, titled “The Mother of All Scandals”.
SML in a writ of summons filed at the High Court of General Jurisdiction claims that Manasseh Azure misrepresented facts with the deliberate intent to tarnish its reputation.
Parts of the SML suit read, “The Plaintiff avers that, notwithstanding the pending defamation suit, the Defendant, in Chapter 28 of his book The President Ghana Never Got, discusses the Plaintiff’s contract with the Government of Ghana (GoG) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in a chapter titled ‘The Mother of All Scandals’. Plaintiff says that in Chapter 28, Defendant makes several non-factual statements that tarnish Plaintiff’s reputation and have caused right-thinking members of society to shun Plaintiff.”
SML further asserted that Manasseh described its contract with the Government of Ghana and Ghana Revenue Authority as “the biggest scam,” a “shady deal,” and labelled it as “the SML scandal.”
Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) has revealed that Manasseh Azure’s allegations have severely smashed its status, with a public backlash and the loss of probable deals in Kenya, Tanzania, and Ivory Coast.
SML is demanding GH¢1,000,000 in general damages for defamation, a GH¢20,000,000 in exemplary damages for what it describes as malicious reporting.
Also, a perpetual injunction restricting Manasseh from publishing further defamatory statements about the company.
They are also demanding a public retraction and apology for Chapter 28 of his book, and any other reliefs the court deems fit.
See the post below:
My lawyers have written to the court and have been served the writ of SML’s GHS21 million defamation suit against me. They will enter appearance today, and the rest of the processes will continue.
I stand by everything I have published on the SML scandal and am ready to defend… pic.twitter.com/UljSo4dHRs
— Manasseh Azure Awuni (@Manasseh_Azure) February 26, 2025
